Chapter 5

Rose still remembered the way the entire Peyton family had bowed and scraped in front of Tommy on her wedding day, the way courtiers might grovel before royalty.

Ordinarily, around the holidays, he'd send someone with gifts for the family. This year, the gifts had been coming more often than usual, almost monthly, though he himself had never once shown his face.

She'd heard he'd been in a car accident, a brush with death that left him paralyzed.

So why was he suddenly back now?

Had something happened in the Peyton family worth this kind of grand appearance, something significant enough that they needed a man in a wheelchair to come lend the occasion some prestige?

Rose thought it over.

It couldn't be Zach's sister getting married. Jennie hadn't been seeing anyone these past two years.

The family patriarch, Arthur Peyton's birthday wasn't for another month, so it was too early for that too.

Well, whatever business a man that powerful had was none of hers to worry about.

Still, given how much respect the family showed him, she didn't want to be too late.

She sent Zach a text letting him know she was heading to the estate first, along with the news that Tommy was back, and asked him to hurry over once he could. Then she changed clothes and left with Todd.

At the family estate, Rose walked into the living room and found Arthur deep in conversation with Tommy, while the rest of the family gathered around, listening in.

Arthur normally wore a stern, unapproachable expression, the picture of a man not to be trifled with. In front of Tommy, though, he was all warm smiles, the picture of an indulgent, kindly old grandfather.

Position and power really were the ultimate authority, it seemed.

Since they were mid-conversation, Rose didn't bother greeting anyone. She headed toward a chair in the corner, meaning to sit quietly and stay out of sight as much as possible.

No sooner had she sat down than she felt a gaze land on her. She looked up and found Tommy watching her.

He wore a black shirt, his features striking, but the sharpness in his bone structure gave him an unsettling, almost dangerous quality that made people want to look away.

One glance was all it took to send her pulse spiking, out of her control.

It wasn't personal. It was pure instinct, her body's involuntary reaction to that overwhelming presence of his.

She was, plainly, afraid of Tommy Ginsberg.

The day after her wedding to Zach, she'd watched him lose his temper at a hotel manager. He hadn't shouted, hadn't said a single harsh word. He'd simply fixed the man with a look of pure, crushing authority, and the manager had broken down in a cold sweat, dropping to his knees to beg forgiveness.

Then Tommy had turned to his assistant beside him and said, mild as anything, "Teach him a lesson."

The manager was dragged off by a handful of men in suits.

Zach had told her afterward that the poor guy had spent half a year in the hospital, all because the breakfast hadn't been to Tommy's taste.

The man was a monster.

Rose had no idea why this tyrant was suddenly looking at her. She'd been sure her footsteps were quiet enough, but had he still caught her moving?

"How far along?"

His voice was low, rich, carrying without effort across the whole room.

Rose kept her gaze lowered. "Two weeks to go."

He gave a short "Mm," and after a beat, "Where's Zach? Why didn't he come with you?"

Before Rose could answer, Marilyn jumped in. "There's an urgent meeting at the office. He's running a little late; he's on his way now."

Since someone else had answered for her, Rose was more than happy to stay quiet and fade into the background.

Arthur kept the conversation with Tommy going.

After a while, Tommy glanced at his watch. Arthur immediately turned to Marilyn, "You said he was on his way, didn't you? Why isn't he here yet?"

Marilyn's smile faltered for a beat before she recovered it. "I'm sure something must have come up on the road."

Arthur agreed at once, "Right, let's just start eating. It wouldn't do to make Tommy wait on Zach."

"That won't be necessary," Tommy said, already rising. "I'll go take a walk in the garden."

He headed for the archway that led out to the garden.

Rose watched, transfixed despite herself, the composed, powerful stride of those long legs as he crossed the room.

Weren't they saying he was paralyzed? That he needed a wheelchair?

Those legs looked perfectly steady to her.

She was still puzzling over it when the long legs in question suddenly stopped moving.

He turned around, looking straight at her.

Their eyes met across the room. Rose's pupils went wide with alarm.

Did Tommy have eyes in the back of his head? Had he somehow noticed her staring?

She dropped her gaze at once.

"I hear you make a good cup of tea."

Was he talking to her?

Whether he was or wasn't, she decided not to claim it. He hadn't said her name, after all.

"Tommy, do you want some tea? I make great tea too, let me make you a pot!" Jennie was already on her feet, moving eagerly toward him.

Tommy's assistant lifted a hand, cutting her off with blunt efficiency. "Miss Peyton, Mr. Ginsberg wasn't speaking to you."

Jennie flushed red, hurt flashing across her face as she looked to Tommy. "Tommy, he's being mean to me."

Tommy said nothing and simply walked on.

Arthur barked, "Sit back down!" before Jennie could go chasing after him. She stamped her foot, furious, but didn't dare defy him and went back to her seat, sulking.

Arthur turned to Rose, still bent over her lap. "Rose, go make Tommy a pot of tea in the garden."

Called out by name, Rose had no choice but to look up, reluctant. She hadn't even said anything yet when Jennie's voice cut in, thick with resentment.

"Why does she get to go and I don't?"

Rose couldn't help thinking, 'Is making tea for Tommy some kind of honor to fight over?'

She had no interest in going, and tried, "I'm pretty far along; it's not really convenient for me to be up and about. Maybe Jennie should go instead?"

"Fine, since you're so understanding about it." Jennie popped right back up, delighted, and hurried off toward the garden.

Arthur made a move to stop her, but Marilyn spoke first, in her daughter's defense. "Dad, just let Jennie go. If she really manages to catch Tommy's interest, that would be the best thing that could happen to this family."

If Jennie could actually win Tommy's affection, it would mean the Peytons had truly forged a real connection to the Ginsberg family, instead of relying on nothing more than the thin thread of a foster-son relationship from years ago.

With that reasoning in mind, Arthur let it go.

But hope was one thing and reality another. Less than three minutes later, Jennie came running back in, red-eyed and in tears.

"That assistant was way out of line; he wouldn't let me anywhere near Tommy! I even called out to Tommy as loud as I could, but he just ignored me..."

"What's all this crying for?" Arthur snapped. "You're a grown woman, bawling like that, have some dignity."

He turned toward Marilyn, his expression darkening. "This was your bright idea."

Marilyn's face burned with humiliation after the public dressing-down. She rounded on Rose instead, all her frustration finding a new target.

"You're pregnant, big deal. Since when is that a good enough excuse? Plenty of women get pregnant. What makes you so precious that you can't even make a pot of tea?"

Rose kept her head down and said nothing.

Seeing her sit there and take it without a word of protest only fueled Marilyn's anger.

"Well? What are you sitting there for? Go make Tommy his tea already."

'Stay here and be Marilyn's punching bag, or go make tea for Tommy Ginsberg?'

Rose only hesitated for a second before deciding. She braced a hand on the armrest, pushed herself up, and headed for the garden.

Tommy wasn't much of a talker, at least. Making him a pot of tea would probably buy her some blessed peace and quiet.