From Glowing Embers

  ~ ~ ~

  Paige Duvall was one of the most beautiful women Julianna had ever seen—and she had become used to beautiful women in her years in the fashion industry. Even with her black hair dripping water and her clothes clinging to her slender body, Paige had a sophisticated allure that had defied Mother Nature’s attempts to destroy it.

  Later, in white linen pants teamed with a blood-red silk blouse, and with her stylishly cut hair dry and falling precisely as it must have the last time she walked out of her stylist’s salon, she had been almost too perfect to believe. Julianna hadn’t felt intimidated by another woman’s beauty in too many years to count. She thought she held her own, in most company, but one look at Paige had erased that thought from her mind.

  She hadn’t seen intimidation in Paige’s eyes when they’d been introduced. She had seen surprise but nothing more before Paige’s perfect manners—which matched her perfect face and body—had taken over. Paige had tried to make her welcome, even as she had firmly planted herself at Gray’s side.

  If Paige had been momentarily surprised that her fiancé’s wife was going to be visiting, she hadn’t allowed it to fluster her. She had calmly taken stock of the situation, added up beds and social conventions, and told the men to put Julianna’s and Jody’s suitcases in her own bedroom. She had taken one of the smaller guest rooms and given Gray and Dillon the other.

  Still, it had been perfectly clear to Julianna that before she had been confronted with guests, Paige had intended a far different sleeping arrangement.

  Now, as Julianna unpacked a suitcase, she wondered what explanation Gray was giving Paige for her presence. How was he going to explain that he had not only offered the sanctuary of Paige’s house to his long-lost wife, but he had also manipulated the situation so that Julianna had been forced to accept?

  Lifting her head at a knock on the door, she watched as Paige came in and shut the door behind her. “May I get you anything else?” Paige asked. “Do you need more hangers?”

  “Thanks, but I don’t expect to be here long. Just until the storm passes.”

  “That may be a while.”

  Julianna met Paige’s eyes squarely. “I’ll be honest. I can’t think of any way to say this that doesn’t sound rude, but I don’t want to be here any more than I’m sure you want me to be. I’ll be leaving just as soon as I can find a place to go and a way to get there.”

  Paige sat down on the edge of the double bed and stretched her legs in front of her with lazy grace. “Then since we’re being honest, I’ll take a turn. I’m not thrilled you’re here, but I’d be less thrilled if you left and Granger spent the next few days worrying about you. Worrying about you is a habit he needs to forget.”

  Julianna was surprised there seemed to be no malice in Paige’s words. Paige reminded her of a sleek, indolent cat who passively watches the world go by, reaching out only occasionally—and with lightning speed—to grab what she wants, but otherwise biding her time with a tolerant, all-seeing smile. Julianna wished she could dislike her, but so far, there was nothing to dislike.

  “Gray doesn’t need to worry about me—and neither do you,” Julianna added pointedly.

  “I’ve found it doesn’t pay to worry, anyway.” Paige smoothed her hand down a dress Julianna had draped over the bed. “I was at your show in New Orleans. I bought two of your dresses. This reminds me of one of them.” She stood, shaking back a length of hair that brushed her cheek. “Please make yourself at home, and let me know if you need anything.”

  Julianna couldn’t let Paige’s bombshell drop without further explanation. “You were at my show? Did you know who I was?”

  “I guessed. Granger was in Washington, but when he returned, I told him my suspicions. From there, it wasn’t hard to verify who you really were.”

  Julianna had wondered how Gray had found her. She was surprised to learn it had been through Paige. “How did you make the connection? We never met. You’d never even seen me.”

  “Granger has a picture of you.” Paige stopped, as if she wished she hadn’t revealed that. Shrugging, she went on. “You’ve changed, of course, but I thought there was enough of a resemblance to have it checked out, especially when one of your models told me you were from Mississippi.”

  Apparently, Paige had gone to some trouble to discover her identity. Julianna wondered why. She didn’t realize she had spoken the question out loud until Paige answered.

  “Granger’s caught in a time warp. You’re the only one who can help him out of it.”

  “What makes you think I want to?”

  “You owe it to him.”

  “I could tell you a few things about debts.”

  “Don’t tell me, tell Granger.” Paige turned to the door, but not before Julianna saw some emotion darken her huge, almond eyes. “Tell Granger and set him free, Julianna. He deserves at least that much. And so do you.”