Light of Day Read Free Page B

modest clothing. As he watched, she stiffened and straightened slowly, a flitting expression of pain tightening her mouth. By the time she turned to face him, there was only the slightest flare of her nostrils to betray her. “I will take care of those later,” he said. “Come.”
    As he led the way to the office, he added a certain courage to his mental assessment of her, an assessment that was already rather confusing in its opposites.
    Lila tried to control her legs as she trailed him into the small office, taking a chair before he could turn. Even when she was sitting, a series of muscle spasms in her lower back sent an excruciating radius of pain up to her shoulders and down through her legs to her toes. She breathed in slowly, consciously relaxing every atom of her body, then let go of the breath just as slowly. There was no controlling the spasms, but there was a way of living with them.
    She glanced up to see Samuel’s black eyes on her, not with the impatience she often encountered, but with something very like admiration. “It’s your back that prevents your working,” he said.
    “It’s nothing. The cold night made it act up.”
    He seemed to accept this, and opened a drawer to withdraw a file. “These are the plans for the buffet. I plan to hire enough new people this week to cover both fronts that evening, but I thought Charlene would be our best choice. She seems popular with the customers.”
    Lila shook her head. “No, she needs to be here to supervise the floor.” She paused to let a particularly vicious assault on her spine pass, keeping her face carefully neutral, as if in thought. “Eileen does a wonderful job with catered affairs.”
    Samuel nodded. “Fine, then.”
    The consultation was over, Lila thought, accepting a stapled sheaf of papers. Now, the only thing was to stand and go. She steeled herself to rise from the chair gracefully.
    Ah, there, she thought. The grip eased, and she stood up. “I hope I’ve been able to help you,” she said, extending her hand.
    He took it in his, and Lila noticed his hands were brown and hard and long fingered, his grip cool and professional. “Thank you for coming,” he said formally.
    She released him. “My pleasure. I’ll bring your desserts by in the morning.”
    As she turned, he saw one hand fly to the small of her back in distress. He pretended not to notice, bending to replace the file in his desk drawer then glancing out the window to the steady rain beyond. As casually as possible, he said, “Lila, will you allow me to drive you home? This weather is not fit for a stray dog.”
    She paused, her hand on the doorjamb, and flashed him her dazzling, daring grin. “I’m stronger than a stray dog,” she said, and left.
    That was no doubt true, he thought with a grin. Nonetheless… He took his car keys from a hook by the door and donned a light jacket, overtaking Lila as she gathered her wet clothes. “I insist,” he said, smoothly taking her elbow with a smile. “You admired my car, and now you may ride in it.” To forestall any protests, he added, “I need you to be in good health this next week.”

Chapter 2
    T he car rumbled through the wet night like a sleek, big animal. Inside, in the lap of a comfortable seat, seduced by a Vivaldi violin concerto Samuel played on the stereo, Lila breathed a sigh of relief. She’d not anticipated the ride home on her bike with any joy—it would have meant hours in the bathtub and doing exercises before she could sleep. And Samuel had gracefully given her a way to accept his offer without wounding her pride.
    “My father restores old cars,” she offered. “His specialty is trucks, but I know he’d admire this.”
    “Thank you.” He adjusted the tone on the stereo. “I’ve spent nearly two years on this. It was falling apart when I bought it.”
    “Have you done the work yourself?”
    “You sound surprised, I think.”
    Lila smiled. “I am.”
    “It’s a very satisfying