So Little Time Read online

  “No hospitals,” he said, his voice suddenly harsh. “I’ve had enough of hospitals to last me a lifetime.”

  So he was sick. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “Come inside while I call a cab. It shouldn’t take long.”

  She waved a hand at the steps, indicating he should go first. If he looked as if he might fall, she wanted to be there to catch him. Though she wasn’t sure how much luck she’d have holding him up. More likely they would both crash to the ground.

  The shiver that attacked her spine at the thought of rolling on the ground with this man rattled her teeth. Or maybe it was the cool wind off the sea that sent the shudder throughout her body.

  To her immense relief Granger Deene made it up the steps and into the living room. She self-consciously shoved newspapers off her well-worn recliner and plumped up the cushion. “Sit down,” she said, “I’ll get you some coffee.”

  “Thank you. That would be very nice.” He stood in the middle of the room and took a slow survey of her few pieces of furniture as if committing it to memory.

  Once more she was aware of an aura of power. Disturbed by the force of it she added, “Cream and sugar?”

  “Black. Thank you.” He turned to face her, and she was surprised to see that his eyes weren’t silver but light gray. “You have a nice home here,” he said. “Lots of charm.”

  “Thank you.” She’d almost laughed out loud. Looking around at the faded chintz curtains and discolored walls, she added, “It’s mortgaged to the hilt and falling apart at the seams. I sank every penny I had into this piece of real estate. But it’s mine, and that’s what matters.”

  She crossed the threadbare carpet to the door that opened into the long hallway. “I can’t afford to have it fixed up, so I’m trying to do the repairs myself. I’m hoping to rent out rooms in the summer, and eventually make enough money so I’ll be able to give up my job.”

  She let the door close behind her as she went into the kitchen, wondering why she’d told him all that. She had to be crazy to take pity on a strange man that way. He might be suffering from some kind of illness, but that didn’t explain his clothes, or the odd way he talked.

  By the time she’d made the coffee and carried it back to the living room she wished heartily that she had simply called a cab and made him wait for it outside. She was taking one heck of a risk inviting him into her home when she was all alone in that big old house.

  Granger Deene had seated himself on the armchair. Again she was struck by the aura of strength surrounding the man. If he was sick, he did a very good job of hiding it.

  He took the coffee from her with a slight smile that softened his harsh features. Corie caught herself wondering what he would look like if he really smiled.

  “Thank you,” he said, balancing the mug on the arm of the chair. “It smells good.”

  “It’s only instant. When you live alone you tend to get lazy about things like percolating coffee.”

  He again studied her with an intent look, making her uncomfortable. After a long pause, he asked, “How long have you lived in this house?”

  “Almost a year. I work full-time, so it’s hard to find the time to spend on renovations. So far, all I’ve managed to finish is three of the bathrooms. But if I don’t work, I don’t earn the money to fix it up.”

  He took a sip of the coffee. “This tastes very good.”

  “Thank you.” She wasn’t sure what to say after that. A little voice warned her that she should be calling a cab, not making small talk with a strange man who disturbed her senses just a little too much to be safe.

  “Do you live around here?” she asked nervously.

  He waited a moment before answering. “Here?”

  “In Cape May, I mean.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Somehow she’d expected that. He was probably sleeping on the beach. She wondered if he was hungry. Trying to ignore her protective instincts, she said carefully, “So where is your home?”

  His glance skimmed around the room, then returned to her. “I don’t have one at present.”

  Dismayed to have her suspicions confirmed, she said tightly, “I’m sorry.”

  He put down his coffee cup in a resolute way that made her nervous. Apparently he had come to some kind of decision.

  She eyed the phone, which sat right by his elbow. If he made a move on her, she would never have time to reach it and dial Emergency before he overpowered her. Her best bet would be to make a mad dash for the door. As unsteady as he was on his feet, she should easily outrun him.

  “As a matter of fact, that’s why I’m here,” Granger Deene said. “I’m looking to buy a house.”

  Again she studied his clothes. Although they were too small for him, they were of good quality. Perhaps she had misjudged him. “So you are staying in one of the hotels?”

  “Not exactly.”

  The tingling feeling down her spine intensified. When he looked at her like that she forgot all her doubts. All she wanted to do was help him, which was out of the question, of course. She’d had all the trouble she could handle in her life. For the first time in years she was content, and she intended to stay that way.

  “A motel?” she persisted. “Shall I call you a cab, or is it close enough to walk?”

  She could see by his face that he had understood the hint.

  He gave her yet another of his long, intent stares, then said carefully, “I was wondering if you would consider a proposition.”

  Her heart skipped uncomfortably. “What kind of proposition?”

  “Would you perhaps consider offering me room and board in exchange for some of those repairs you find so difficult to take care of?”

  So that was it. He was looking for a handout. She’d been right about him in the first place.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Deene, but I couldn’t possibly—”

  “Mrs. Trenton, I understand your hesitancy. But the truth is, I have recently left the hospital after a bout of illness. My clothes and belongings were stolen from me. I had to...borrow these clothes from a doctor. This is all I have to my name at present. I have no money to pay for board and lodging.”

  Corie frowned at him. “You don’t have a credit card?”

  His eyes narrowed, and he gave a slight shake of his head. “Credit card? I’m sorry...”

  “You’re not bankrupt, are you? If you are, you’ll have a tough time buying a house.”

  His chin came up at that. “I am certainly not bankrupt. I’m simply unable to lay my hands on my money at present. As soon as I do, I shall be on my way.”

  “What about your job?”

  Granger Deene shrugged. “I lost that when I became ill.”

  “You don’t have family, friends who could help you?”

  “I have no one.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  His gray eyes regarded her for a long moment. “So am I,” he said quietly.

  She hesitated for several seconds, before asking tentatively, “How good a handyman are you?”

  He took his time thinking about it. “I am quite good with my hands,” he said at last.

  Something about the way he said it made her shiver. The man positively oozed sexuality.

  “What about your illness? Fixing up a house like this one can be very hard work.”

  He squared his shoulders, reminding her once more of an indomitable power that seemed to hum just below his surface. “Please don’t concern yourself on my account, Mrs. Trenton. My unfortunate weakness earlier was due solely to exhaustion. A good night’s sleep will take care of that, I assure you.”

  Corie stared at him, while the seconds ticked by in ominous silence. She had no idea why she was even considering the proposal. The man was obviously a smooth-talking, no-good bum.

  Yet, somehow, part of her couldn’t believe that. For one thing, he spoke with a precise, educated accent that seemed to indicate a good background, and that direct gaze of his radiated honesty.

  Then there was th
at sense of authority that almost overwhelmed her. No man with that aura of formidable strength could possibly be a bum. Besides, lots of people didn’t have credit cards, for one reason or another.

  If he was really down on his luck, she decided, she could hardly turn him out on the street. Anyway, it seemed like a good idea. She had plenty of empty rooms in the house, and she could certainly use the help in fixing up the place.

  “All right,” she said, ignoring a little flutter of apprehension, “I’ll give you a room and meals. But only until you get your finances sorted out, okay? I’m not officially in business yet, and I won’t be, until I get these repairs done.”

  “Then perhaps we can both benefit greatly from the arrangement.”

  She stared at him a moment longer, wishing she could lose the uneasy twinges in her stomach. “I’ll show you to your room, though I’ll have to make up the bed first. I’ll leave you to finish your coffee, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He nodded, watching her with that intent gaze that made her feel as if he could read her mind. She hoped he couldn’t. She was beginning to wish she’d insisted on him leaving. Although she was more than inclined to believe him, she couldn’t shake that feeling that Granger Deene was more than a little weird.

  After she’d left the room, Granger sat with the cup between his hands and stared down at the coffee. There was still so much he didn’t understand. Somehow he couldn’t seem to think straight, and when he tried, he felt a terrible pain in the back of his head, as if someone held a branding iron against it.

  He needed time. Time to discover exactly where he was and what had happened to him. Time to find out why he had been held prisoner by men who insisted he was imagining things.

  So far the woman had been cooperative, though he couldn’t trust her, of course. He couldn’t trust anyone.

  He’d first seen her quite by chance, moments after leaving his room. She was talking to a man in a guard’s uniform at the main door. She didn’t look like a nurse. She wore no uniform, yet from the conversation he’d overheard, it appeared she worked at the hospital.

  He wasn’t sure what he’d had in mind when he’d decided to follow her. He only knew that he needed answers, and he needed somewhere to hide. He’d heard her mention to the guard that she lived alone, and he’d concluded that she would give him little trouble if he’d had to use force.

  Then he’d had that damn attack again, the same visions that danced in his head and tormented his mind. He’d blacked out as he’d reached the steps to her porch. When he’d opened his eyes, she’d been leaning over him. Heaven knows how long he’d lain there.

  Granger sighed and swallowed the last of the coffee. He hadn’t seen her close up until then. All he’d seen was her blond hair, cut short for a woman, and that the multicolored garment she wore barely reached her knees.

  He’d been shocked at first to see that much bare flesh. Until he’d left the hospital and realized that she wasn’t the only woman dressed like that. Apparently his mind hadn’t remembered that women wore such brief clothes.

  Obviously, she didn’t recognize him. Granger assumed she didn’t know who he was, or that he had been a prisoner in the hospital. Somehow he had to find out the truth before she discovered that fact.

  He’d been startled by the odd sights he’d seen when he’d left that place...lamps that glowed red and green in the middle of the street, strange-looking vehicles sweeping past him at an alarming rate, guided by men and women who wore strangely colored spectacles on their faces.

  Since his memory no longer served him, he expected things to appear strange to him. There was so much he couldn’t remember or understand. He knew how to take care of his personal needs, like using the toilet and shaving, yet the facilities and instruments he’d used in the hospital were completely unrecognizable to him. He’d had to be shown how to manipulate them.

  Cups that made no sound when they fell, and water that tasted more pure and clear than he’d ever known, just about everything he touched or tasted seemed unfamiliar.

  Nothing, however, had prepared him for the sight of Corie Trenton’s face when he’d recovered from his attack. Sea green eyes had gazed down at him with a mixture of concern and fear, while the most desirable mouth he’d ever seen spoke words he barely understood.

  Granger lifted his head toward the ceiling and closed his eyes. He had lost so much of his memory. An entire lifetime. He might get it back, the doctor’s had told him, and then again he might not.

  The one thing he struggled to understand was why he’d been drugged and kept a prisoner in a hospital room. It didn’t make sense. He was still pondering on the mystery when he heard footsteps on the stairs.

  Corie Trenton walked slowly toward him, that same deep concern in her beautiful eyes that he’d seen before. Granger felt a stirring of interest and quickly suppressed it. He had no time for such thoughts. She was most likely his enemy, and if he was to find out what had happened to him, he needed a clear mind, uncluttered by any lustful ideas.

  He almost smiled, realizing that at least that part of him could still respond to the right stimulus. And in that remarkably brief garment that revealed her long, shapely legs, Corie Trenton was, indeed, quite a stimulus.

  Under other circumstances he might have been tempted to spend a few pleasant hours discovering exactly which intriguing spot on her body would melt her resistance.

  Much as he liked the idea, however, he knew better than to cloud his mind with passion. She could either help him unravel the puzzle and give him back his life, or she could lead him back to rot in that cold, white prison. He would do well to remember that if he was to survive this nightmare.

  Chapter 2

  “Do you have a car?” Corie asked, as she took a key from her pocket and handed it to Granger Deene.

  He didn’t answer, but sat turning the silver object over in his palm as if he wasn’t sure what it was.

  “It’s the key to your room,” she said, trying not to sound defensive. “I have one for every bedroom.”

  “Thank you.” He dropped the key into his shirt pocket.

  “Do you have a car?” Corie asked again, as he rose to his feet. “You’ll need to pick up wallpaper and paint, and shelving, stuff like that. And you’d better buy some clothes. You can’t wear that outfit all the time. I’ll put it on my credit card and you can repay me when you get your money.”

  If he had any money to get, she added silently.

  Granger looked at her as if she’d asked him to go to the moon. “I really wouldn’t know what to buy.”

  He probably wasn’t feeling up to it and didn’t want to admit it, Corie thought. “Never mind,” she said, “I’ll go in the morning. Just give me your sizes and I’ll pick up something for you to wear.”

  He looked down at himself. “I’m about average.”

  Corie sighed. Typical male helplessness. Though it was hard to think of that word when dealing with Granger Deene. “We’ll get your measurements in the morning. Right now you look as though you’re about to drop again.”

  She peered up at him, noting the tan that darkened his leathery skin. This was a man who spent a great deal of time in the sun. She wondered what he did for a living, but decided to hold the questions until the next day. Judging from the way he was looking at her, she wasn’t making much sense to him right now.

  Remembering her concern earlier, she asked, “Are you hungry? I can fix you a light supper if you are. I don’t have too much in the house until I shop tomorrow.”

  He shook his head in a weary way that told her he was barely holding up. She hoped the work wouldn’t be too much for him. If so, she would have to suggest he find someone else to give him room and board.

  A business arrangement was one thing. Taking in a complete stranger just because he made her feel like a woman again was quite a different proposition.

  “I’m not hungry, Mrs. Trenton, but thank you. I’m just very tired.”

  “Why don’t
you just call me Corie? It will make things a lot simpler.”

  Her skin tingled as his gaze rested on her face. “Very well, Corie. Please call me Granger.”

  His eyes seemed to mesmerize her. He really did have the most peculiar effect on her. Almost as if he could control her mind if he really wanted to.

  She gave herself a mental shake, wondering where on earth that ridiculous thought had come from. Without saying anything more, she led him up two flights of stairs to the large bedroom at the rear of the house.

  Her common sense told her that if she intended to rent rooms, she would have to get used to strangers staying at the house. But then her common sense seemed to desert her when faced with Granger Deene’s harsh features, which were such a contrast to his courteous manner.

  Reaching the landing, she stood aside to let him pass, thankful not to have him following her any longer. His magnetic presence behind her had made her knees tremble all the way up the stairs.

  Normally she would have opened the door for her guest and shown him into the room, but she was reluctant to do that with Granger Deene.

  “That’s your room,” she said, gesturing at the door. “I hope you will find it comfortable.”

  He gave her his level look and said quietly, “I’m sure I shall. Thank you. I am very grateful for your kindness. I promise you, I shall repay you. I will start work on the renovations tomorrow.”

  She nodded, backing away from him as he took the key from his pocket and turned it over in his hand. “I plan to spend the entire weekend working on the house,” she said, “so between us we should get quite a lot done.”

  “I’m sure we shall. Good night, Corie.”

  She liked the way he pronounced her name. He made it sound different, old-fashioned somehow. Deciding it was time she left before she got any more fanciful ideas, she flashed him a quick smile. “Good night, Granger.”

  She fled down the stairs without looking back. As she turned the corner to the next flight, she heard him fumbling with the key in the lock. He had to be pretty tired, judging by the length of time it was taking him. Hoping that he wouldn’t be there all night, she went down to the kitchen to clean it up before going to bed herself.