A Long Tall Texan Summer: Tom Walker Read Online Free PDF Page A

that easy. Jacobsville was small enough that the monied class congregated everywhere. There was an endless social round that included chamber of commerce meetings and
    various charity and business
    gatherings of all sorts. Tom, as the town's only investment counselor, was included in all of these. So, unfortunately, was Elysia.
    Their stiff courtesy with each other didn't go unnoticed. People remembered that Elysia had worked for Tom in New York before she'd come home to marry Fred Nash. They began to wonder about these two people because
    of their obvious hostility toward each other.
    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html The gossip was unavoidable.
    Tom found himself seated next to Elysia at the monthly meeting of businessmen. It was a lunch affair, served in the private dining room of the largest local restaurant. Tom, in a dark suit, and Elysia, in a neat
    gray pantsuit, her hair in a chignon, was secretary of the group. She couldn't avoid him at this function, or
    the gossip would have been even worse.
    But it was obvious to the most unobservant of guests that they barely tolerated each other. When Elysia passed around the neat copies she'd made of the financial report, she made sure that her hand didn't touch Tom's. When she passed the cream and sugar holders to him, again, she kept her fingers from making contact.
    Tom was keenly aware of her bitter avoidance
    of him. He understood it, but that didn't make it any
    easier. He was astonished that such a mercenary woman still had feelings to hurt.
    After the meeting, she went straight to her car.
    Tom followed right behind her, keenly aware of eyes following his progress to his own somber Lincoln, which was parked beside her Mercedes convertible.
    Elysia fumbled with her keys and dropped them in her haste to get away before he came to his car. She muttered curses, hating the door because it wouldn't cooperate.
    "Don't worry," he murmured coolly from across the top of her car, "whatever I seem to have probably isn't contagious a car length away."
    She glared at him, flushed. "That works both ways, Mr. Walker!"
    "Listen, if you want to sleep your way up in the fashion world, it's none of my business,"
    he said with icy
    venom.
    She bit back a curse as the president of the chamber of commerce passed them with a curious glance.
    "Nice meeting, Mr. James," she said through her teeth with a smile.
    "Yes, it was. Nice to have you aboard, too, Mr. Walker," he said, pausing to shake Tom's hand. "You be good to him, Mrs. Nash, we need new blood in the community!" he added with a wave of his hand as
    he went along to his own car.
    "Oh, how I'd love to show him some of yours," Elysia said fervently, glaring at Tom.
    "You need to work on that attitude problem,"
    he replied somberly. "You seem to have lost your knack for diplomacy."
    "Only with you," she shot right back. "I get along fine with everyone else."
    "Especially French buyers, hmmm?"
    "Damn you!"
    His eyebrows arched as she pulled off a high heel shoe and threw it at him.
    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    "Wouldn't you know I’d miss?" she demanded
    of the parking lot. "Give me back my shoe."

    "Come over here and get it," he challenged.
    "You're not my type," she purred. "You can't speak French!"
    His eyes went cold. He threw the shoe onto the top of her car, got into his own, backed out and drove away without even looking in her direction.
    "I love you, too, you sweet man!" she called after him.
    "Can I print that?" the local newspaper editor
    whispered in her ear.
    She shrieked. "John, don't sneak up on me like that!"
    He grinned wickedly. "Can't you see the headlines? Boutique Owner Shouts Love For Financial Advisor
    At Top Of Lungs..."
    "Do you need a shoe?" she asked, holding it over her head in a threatening manner.
    He cleared his throat. "Not my size. Thanks, anyway."
    He beat a hasty retreat. She glared after him. This was getting