Read Online Full Bloom by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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the front and slid behind the wheel. He sat quietly for a moment, staring out into the street. Emily felt the tension in him, and she knew he had himself under tight control.
"It wasn't a trap or a setup, Emily. Your father asked you to come to Portland to discuss business. He considered your relationship with Morrell as a genuine threat to Ravenscroft and to you personally. He wanted the issue settled quickly and cleanly. Don't blame him or your brother, or your mother. They've always operated in a very straightforward style. You know that. They don't dither around and anguish over things. When they see a clear and present danger, they act."
"Without any regard for the feelings of others. Yes, I know."
"How long are you going to blame me for my part in what happened?" Jacob eased the car away from the curb and started toward First Avenue. As they drove down toward the water, the lights on Elliott Bay glittered in the darkness.
"I've decided there's no point blaming you," Emily said gently. "That's why I agreed to come out with you tonight. You only did what you had to do. I understand. My family can be very demanding."
He shot her an astonished glance. "Do you mean that? You're not going to hold any of it against me?"
"Don't worry. The days are gone when they used to kill the messenger who brought bad news. That's all you were. The messenger. I'm sorry my family felt compelled to drag you into this mess."
"Mind telling me why you're suddenly being so understanding and forgiving about my role in the matter? I'm not complaining, but I am a little baffled. Friday night when I left you I got the feeling you would like to have put me through the Ravenscroft corporate paper shredder."
"Let's just say that in the cold light of day, I put things back into perspective. I've had the weekend to think about things. I know how my family operates," she went on soothingly. "They don't hesitate to call in a few favors when it suits them."
"Emily, I'll say this one more time and that's all. What I did, I did for your sake. I know it was a rough way to get the news about Morrell, but I agreed with your family. We all wanted to make it quick and clean."
"Let's not talk about why you did what you did. I don't want to talk about that any more than I want to talk about Damon."
"If you're willing to put the matter behind us, then I guess I am, too. Where does that leave us, Emily?"
"On the way to dinner."
"Right." Jacob smiled and made an obvious effort to relax. "Tell me about the flower shop."
"Are you really interested?"
"I'm interested in everything about you, Emily."
So she told him about Emily's Garden. When he proved astonishingly interested, she gave him all the gory details, including how she had sold her car and taken out a loan from a bank to go into business for herself nearly two years ago. Her family had refused to help her finance the shop, so Emily had sought out her own financing. She had only recently been able to afford another vehicle.
"You can imagine what my folks said when they found out what I'd done. They've been opposed to my decision to make a career in the florist business right from the start. They've done everything they could to discourage me. Grandmother Ravenscroft was the only one who actually encouraged me."
"What made you think your family might be willing to finance the second shop?"
Emily sighed. "I was hoping that the fact that I've made a success out of the first shop would alleviate some of their concerns about my business abilities. I'm turning a profit and I've proved I can run a business. It was dumb, I know, but I thought I'd give them another chance. Looks like I was wasting my time, though. I'll have to go back to the bank for the loan I need."
"You never gave your father a chance to discuss the loan," Jacob reminded her. "You stormed out of the house before anyone ever got to that subject."
Emily allowed herself a short, humorless laugh. "Let's just say that after having let
"It wasn't a trap or a setup, Emily. Your father asked you to come to Portland to discuss business. He considered your relationship with Morrell as a genuine threat to Ravenscroft and to you personally. He wanted the issue settled quickly and cleanly. Don't blame him or your brother, or your mother. They've always operated in a very straightforward style. You know that. They don't dither around and anguish over things. When they see a clear and present danger, they act."
"Without any regard for the feelings of others. Yes, I know."
"How long are you going to blame me for my part in what happened?" Jacob eased the car away from the curb and started toward First Avenue. As they drove down toward the water, the lights on Elliott Bay glittered in the darkness.
"I've decided there's no point blaming you," Emily said gently. "That's why I agreed to come out with you tonight. You only did what you had to do. I understand. My family can be very demanding."
He shot her an astonished glance. "Do you mean that? You're not going to hold any of it against me?"
"Don't worry. The days are gone when they used to kill the messenger who brought bad news. That's all you were. The messenger. I'm sorry my family felt compelled to drag you into this mess."
"Mind telling me why you're suddenly being so understanding and forgiving about my role in the matter? I'm not complaining, but I am a little baffled. Friday night when I left you I got the feeling you would like to have put me through the Ravenscroft corporate paper shredder."
"Let's just say that in the cold light of day, I put things back into perspective. I've had the weekend to think about things. I know how my family operates," she went on soothingly. "They don't hesitate to call in a few favors when it suits them."
"Emily, I'll say this one more time and that's all. What I did, I did for your sake. I know it was a rough way to get the news about Morrell, but I agreed with your family. We all wanted to make it quick and clean."
"Let's not talk about why you did what you did. I don't want to talk about that any more than I want to talk about Damon."
"If you're willing to put the matter behind us, then I guess I am, too. Where does that leave us, Emily?"
"On the way to dinner."
"Right." Jacob smiled and made an obvious effort to relax. "Tell me about the flower shop."
"Are you really interested?"
"I'm interested in everything about you, Emily."
So she told him about Emily's Garden. When he proved astonishingly interested, she gave him all the gory details, including how she had sold her car and taken out a loan from a bank to go into business for herself nearly two years ago. Her family had refused to help her finance the shop, so Emily had sought out her own financing. She had only recently been able to afford another vehicle.
"You can imagine what my folks said when they found out what I'd done. They've been opposed to my decision to make a career in the florist business right from the start. They've done everything they could to discourage me. Grandmother Ravenscroft was the only one who actually encouraged me."
"What made you think your family might be willing to finance the second shop?"
Emily sighed. "I was hoping that the fact that I've made a success out of the first shop would alleviate some of their concerns about my business abilities. I'm turning a profit and I've proved I can run a business. It was dumb, I know, but I thought I'd give them another chance. Looks like I was wasting my time, though. I'll have to go back to the bank for the loan I need."
"You never gave your father a chance to discuss the loan," Jacob reminded her. "You stormed out of the house before anyone ever got to that subject."
Emily allowed herself a short, humorless laugh. "Let's just say that after having let
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