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That he’d plan her life choices around what best garnered votes didn’t shock her in the slightest. She’d dealt with that her entire life.
“How do you know anything about Dr. Donaldson?” she asked slowly, knowing she wasn’t going to like his answer.
Her father’s gaze narrowed slightly at her calling Ty by his proper name. “I figured the son of a gun was just after your inheritance so I called my attorney first thing this morning and had a background check run.”
Because her father hadn’t believed any man would want her for herself, only for her cut of the Aston fortune. Great. Had he ever had any of Brooke’s many beaus checked out?
Probably not, since her sister never seemed interested in the same man for more than a week or two. Then again, perhaps the senator did have each one thoroughly investigated and perhaps that’s why none of them lasted more than a week—because they weren’t worthy of his precious baby girl.
“He checked out,” her father announced, sounding somewhere between smug and surprised.
“You’ve already gotten a report on his whole life history? Wow. That was fast work.” Head spinning, she took a deep breath. “Well, you wasted your time and money, because Dr. Donaldson is a colleague from work.” Sure, they’d had a great time the night before, but it wasn’t as if she expected him to actually call and ask her out. They were friends. Sort of. “Nothing more.”
Not liking being ignored, Brooke tapped the newspaper picture again. “This doesn’t look like just work.”
Her father smiled in that way that didn’t convey happiness, just arrogance that he was right and that he would get his way because he was Senator Cole Aston. “I should have known you’d be contrary.”
Shocked at his comment, Eleanor stared at her father. Because she was known for her contrariness? Hardly, unless he counted her going to university, getting a medical degree and actually working for a living. If he counted that then, yes, she was quite the contrary child.
“No matter.” He waved his hand dismissively then took a sip of his black coffee. “I’ve already taken matters into my own hands.”
That didn’t surprise her in the slightest. However, the implications of his comment terrified her.
“What do you mean, you’ve taken matters into your own hands?”
“I sent the car for Dr. Donaldson. He should be arriving …” he glanced at the slim gold watch on his wrist “… any moment.”
Brooke squealed, her eyes widening. She jumped to her feet. “Daddy! You can’t invite people here when my face is all messed up.”
The senator ignored his younger daughter, his gaze instead boring into Eleanor. “Perhaps you’d like to go freshen up before he arrives?”
Heat rose to the tips of Eleanor’s ears. Her father had sent the car for Ty? How had her father even known she’d be here? Had he cared? If her father said that he would be arriving any moment, that meant Ty had gone along with her father’s request. Then again, Cole might not have requested anything. He’d probably demanded that Ty come.
Great.
She’d thought she was going to die of total mortification last night, but perhaps that honor had been saved for this morning.
Ty had ridden in a limo a few times during his life, but none of the luxurious caliber of Senator Cole Aston’s. Although he definitely preferred Ole Bess, his affectionate nickname for the Ford pickup he’d driven since first getting his license, he couldn’t deny that he’d been impressed.
But, then, he was pretty sure that had been Senator Aston’s intention.
That and to perhaps intimidate him.
Not that Ty was easily intimidated. Only his own father seemed capable of achieving that.
Obviously, Eleanor’s old man had seen the picture of his daughter with him and wanted to know his intentions.
He had no intentions.
Not toward Eleanor. Not really.
Yeah, she’d piqued his interest last night and once she’d gotten over her shyness she’d been funny and intelligent.
He’d enjoyed the evening more than he would have believed possible.
He’d found her incredibly intriguing and, yes, he’d admit it, he found her sexy as hell.
But that didn’t mean he had any intention of seeing Eleanor outside the hospital. Something told him she wouldn’t be a love-’em-and-leave-’em-smiling kind of experience.
He didn’t do any other. Which meant he should stay away from the good doctor. Which was why he hadn’t made any move on her at the end of the evening, despite the fact that he’d wanted to kiss her repeatedly. Hell, he’d wanted to do a lot more than kiss her.
But he’d settled for a goodbye hug and he’d gone home alone.
The senator had nothing to worry about.
The elevator ride to the penthouse of one of Manhattan’s most prestigious apartment complexes overlooking Central Park was an experience in and of itself. Ty had to smile at the seat along one wall and wondered if he was wicked for thinking of all the fun ways that seat could be used by him and …
He stopped, realizing that rather than some random hot babe popping into his head, the woman making use of that seat with him was Eleanor.
Which shocked him. Hadn’t he just reminded himself that she wasn’t his type?
Senator Cole Aston’s daughter.
How had Eleanor ended up shy, sweet, compassionate and hardworking when she’d grown up in the lap of such luxury?
Then again, thinking about what he knew of Cole Aston, perhaps Eleanor’s childhood had been more hellish than his own.
Which wasn’t exactly fair, because his childhood hadn’t been bad. Not really. It hadn’t been until he’d gotten older, known his life was going in a different direction than his family envisioned that the problems had started with his father. The rest of his family was … things he wasn’t going to think about. Not right now when he was about to get his butt chewed for latching on to Eleanor the night before.
The Aston penthouse suite was something straight out of a magazine on luxury living. The fancy living quarters probably had been featured in a magazine. Several of them. Ty almost felt as if he should take his shoes off before stepping onto the shiny hardwood floors.
Following a well-dressed woman who’d introduced herself as the head housekeeper, he entered a large room containing a long mahogany table, with Senator Aston sitting at the head and Eleanor to his right. Fresh flowers adorned the elaborately set table.
The bright red splash of color that infused Eleanor’s cheeks and the quick way she averted her gaze told him she hadn’t been behind his summons.
Perhaps she didn’t even want him here.
Was that disappointment shooting through him?
No way. He hadn’t really thought Eleanor had sent for him. He hadn’t even expected her to be here as she’d told him the night before that she lived in an apartment of her own. Ty had known it was her father planning to whip out the shotgun and tell him to keep his good-ole-boy hands off his precious daughter.
No worries. He’d already decided to do that.
“Glad you could make it, Dr. Donaldson.” The senator stuck out his hand and Ty shook it firmly. “Have a seat. Next to Eleanor, of course.”
Senator Aston had a future in acting should he ever opt out of politics because no way was that welcoming tone real. Had he really just invited Ty to sit next to Eleanor?
Wondering what he’d gotten himself into, he sat.
“Can we get you some breakfast, son?”
Son? What the …?
“No, thank you, sir. I’ve already eaten.”
“Coffee, tea, juice?”
What was with the host with the most?
Eleanor was now shooting daggers at her father.
“No, thanks.” He searched her face, but she wouldn’t even look his way. When she finally stopped glaring at her father, she just stared at her breakfast, which it didn’t look like she’d much more than touched. So he met Senator Aston’s eyes and decided to cut to the chase. “You asked to see me?”
The man smiled and a shiver ran up Ty’s back.
“I wanted to meet the man who spent the night with my daughter.”
Ty didn’t wince or glance away from the man’s penetrating gaze. He wouldn’t show weakness around this man who was obviously used to everyone bowing to his command. “Eleanor is a grown woman and surely makes her own choices as to who she spends her time with.”
Which wasn’t what he should have said. He should have pointed out that they hadn’t spent the night together.
Only a very public evening. Something about the man got Ty’s hackles up.
“Until I saw this morning’s paper I hadn’t realized she was spending time with anyone,” the senator countered smoothly, taking a sip from his coffee cup. “She tells me you work together.”
Her shoulders having dropped at her father’s words, Eleanor’s face now glowed rosier than any bloom in the flower arrangement. Once again, Ty found himself feeling protective.
“Yes, she’s a brilliant pediatrician. One of the best Angel’s has.”
Senator Aston waved off Eleanor’s accomplishments and focused on the real reason he’d summoned Ty. “What are your intentions regarding my daughter?”
That’s more like what he’d come expecting to hear.
“Daddy! Please.” Eleanor scooted her plate back, stared at her father. “I told you that Ty and I are only work colleagues.”
Ouch. Why did Eleanor’s words sting?
“Ty?” Her father’s brow arched, then his dark gaze settled directly on Ty in question.
Here was his opportunity to set the record straight and get the hell out of Dodge.
“It’s too early to say what my intentions are regarding your daughter.” Which wasn’t what he’d meant to say, but those words had somehow come out anyway.
“What?” This had come from a very shocked, very red-faced Eleanor. “But you … you didn’t …” Her voice trailed off, not verbalizing that Ty hadn’t kissed her when they’d said goodbye.
Ty’s gaze remained locked with her father’s.
“I’m very protective of my daughters.”
Ty bit back a grin. “I imagine so.”
Eleanor’s father leaned back in his chair, eyeing Ty as if he were sizing up an opponent. He took a sip of his coffee and calmly announced, “I want you to accompany Eleanor to my fund-raiser ball next week.”
That surprised him, but Ty only shrugged. He wouldn’t be bullied by this man. “I’m busy.”
“Get unbusy,” the senator ordered, as if whatever Ty’s plans were they couldn’t possibly be more important than his.
“Eleanor may have other plans.”
“She doesn’t.” Had there been humor in the man’s tone? “This is important to my career and the perfect opportunity for me to get to know what type of man my daughter is spending her time with.”
Ty wasn’t sure how he felt about going to the fund-raiser. He liked Eleanor, but hadn’t he already decided that he needed to stay away from her? That she would expect more from him than he’d ever give? But there was something about the way her father was discussing her as if she weren’t in the room that got Ty’s hackles up, made him want to puff out his chest and stand in challenge.
What was it about the woman that gave him all these protective, testosterone-filled urges?
“I prefer to arrange my own dates.”
The senator sat his coffee cup down on the table and eyed Ty intently. “Fine. Arrange one. Now is as good a time as any. I’m sure Eleanor is available the night of my fund-raiser.”
“Daddy.” Eleanor’s voice sounded so humiliated Ty wanted to whisk her out of the room. Hell, he knew exactly how she felt. Hadn’t his own father loved to put him in his place every opportunity he got?
His father. His family. Which only served to remind him of his own family issues and the fact that his mother wasn’t letting up on him coming home to attend Swallow Creek’s annual rodeo, which his father was hosting. Just the thought of going home, seeing the shame in his father’s eyes as he expounded on what a disappointment Ty had turned out to be, turned his stomach. It would be the first time he’d be face-to-face with dear ole Dad since their big row about Ty moving to New York.
He’d be damned if he was going to face it solo when presented with such a golden opportunity.
“Fine,” he agreed to the senator’s suggestion, liking the idea that had struck him. “I’ll go to the fund-raiser.” Just as the pompous man started to smile, Ty added, “On one condition. I want Eleanor to go to Texas with me six weeks from now to attend a rodeo my family is hosting.”
With her by his side, his family would be on their best behavior, would be distracted by him bringing a woman with him, and maybe, just maybe, his father wouldn’t launch into how he’d screwed up his whole life and let the entire family down by following his own dreams rather than to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“Done.” Smiling again, the senator stuck his hand out for Ty to shake.
“What?” Eleanor’s chair flew back from the table, almost toppling she stood so quickly. “Th-this is crazy. You’re talking like I’m not even here.” She glanced back and forth between them. “You’re both crazy. I’m not going to Texas.”
Wondering what the hell he was doing, Ty shook Eleanor’s father’s hand before any of them could come to their senses.
CHAPTER FOUR
ELEANOR AUSCULTATED ROCHELLE’S tiny chest, distinguishing each sound and praying the baby’s lungs remained clear of fluid or pneumonia despite her many risk factors.
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