herself at the thought. No, whatever Garth might be doing at this hour of the night, he wasn't two-timing her. At least not with another woman. She trusted him.
But she wasn't at all sure she trusted the business side of his life. On a hunch, Shannon picked up the receiver again and dialed the number for Sherilectronics . She wasn't really surprised when the phone was answered promptly by a professional-sounding female voice.
" Sherilectronics , can I help you?"
At seven o'clock at night, no less, Shannon marveled at the late hours. She wondered what Garth had to pay in overtime to get a secretary who sounded this professional at this hour. She tried to conjure up an image of the woman and failed. It made her realize again how many gaps there were in her knowledge of Garth.
"I was calling to speak to Mr. Sheridan. Is he there?"
"He's here, but he's in a meeting. If you'll leave your name and number, I'll have him return your call."
Thoroughly intimidated by the notion of pulling Garth out of a late meeting, Shannon hastily apologized. "That's all right. Just tell him Shannon Raine called. It's nothing crucial. I'll contact him later."
"Hold on a moment, Miss Raine . I have instructions to put through any call from you."
"No, wait, that's all right-" Shannon said quickly, but it was too late. There was an abrupt silence and then a man's voice, sounding harried and impatient came on the line. "Sheridan's office. What's up?"
"I'm sorry," Shannon said, annoyed with herself for apologizing yet again. "This is Shannon Raine . I was calling for Garth, but I understand he's busy and I don't want to interrupt."
A hand was clamped over the mouthpiece on the other end of the line, and Shannon heard the man's muffled voice speaking to someone else. "It's somebody called Shannon Raine . Want me to get rid of her, Garth?"
Garth's voice sounded in the distance. "Hell, no, let me have that, Wes." A second later, he was on the line. "Shannon? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm sorry I bothered you, Garth." Shannon felt distinctly like an intruder who had blundered into Garth's other world without invitation. "I tried to tell everyone I'd get hold of you later, but they put me through and I -"
He cut through the flow of apologetic words. "It's all right, honey. I've told my secretary to put through your calls. What did you want?"
Her news seemed very trivial now. "I just wanted to tell you about the buyer's visit today. But it can wait."
"How did it go?"
Shannon relaxed a little at the genuine interest in his voice. "Really well, Garth. She loved the totes, and she even wants some of the cards."
"That's wonderful. Did she leave a contract?"
"It's right here in front of me." Shannon glanced uneasily at the three-part document lying on the table.
"Fine. Don't sign anything until I get over there."
Shannon sighed, too elated by the buyer's visit to argue. "All right, Garth." She paused. "Are you going to be working much later tonight?"
"We're getting some last-minute sections of a proposal ready. I'll probably be here until nine or ten."
"Oh." She was shocked but tried not to show it. "Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you," she heard herself say.
"It's all right, honey." But she could hear the impatience in his voice. He had a lot of work ahead of him tonight, and he wanted to get back to it. "Congratulations on your big sale. I'll call you tomorrow, and we'll discuss it further."
"Fine. Good night, Garth." Shannon hung up the phone wishing she'd never had the urge to call his office.
She was an intruder there. There was no doubt about it, regardless of how polite people were when she called. She didn't even know the name of Garth's secretary or how close the man called Wes was to him. She knew so damn little about Garth Sheridan's other life, and he seemed very unwilling to share it with her.
Next weekend the business side of his life would steal even the short time she might normally have had with Garth. Shannon was
But she wasn't at all sure she trusted the business side of his life. On a hunch, Shannon picked up the receiver again and dialed the number for Sherilectronics . She wasn't really surprised when the phone was answered promptly by a professional-sounding female voice.
" Sherilectronics , can I help you?"
At seven o'clock at night, no less, Shannon marveled at the late hours. She wondered what Garth had to pay in overtime to get a secretary who sounded this professional at this hour. She tried to conjure up an image of the woman and failed. It made her realize again how many gaps there were in her knowledge of Garth.
"I was calling to speak to Mr. Sheridan. Is he there?"
"He's here, but he's in a meeting. If you'll leave your name and number, I'll have him return your call."
Thoroughly intimidated by the notion of pulling Garth out of a late meeting, Shannon hastily apologized. "That's all right. Just tell him Shannon Raine called. It's nothing crucial. I'll contact him later."
"Hold on a moment, Miss Raine . I have instructions to put through any call from you."
"No, wait, that's all right-" Shannon said quickly, but it was too late. There was an abrupt silence and then a man's voice, sounding harried and impatient came on the line. "Sheridan's office. What's up?"
"I'm sorry," Shannon said, annoyed with herself for apologizing yet again. "This is Shannon Raine . I was calling for Garth, but I understand he's busy and I don't want to interrupt."
A hand was clamped over the mouthpiece on the other end of the line, and Shannon heard the man's muffled voice speaking to someone else. "It's somebody called Shannon Raine . Want me to get rid of her, Garth?"
Garth's voice sounded in the distance. "Hell, no, let me have that, Wes." A second later, he was on the line. "Shannon? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm sorry I bothered you, Garth." Shannon felt distinctly like an intruder who had blundered into Garth's other world without invitation. "I tried to tell everyone I'd get hold of you later, but they put me through and I -"
He cut through the flow of apologetic words. "It's all right, honey. I've told my secretary to put through your calls. What did you want?"
Her news seemed very trivial now. "I just wanted to tell you about the buyer's visit today. But it can wait."
"How did it go?"
Shannon relaxed a little at the genuine interest in his voice. "Really well, Garth. She loved the totes, and she even wants some of the cards."
"That's wonderful. Did she leave a contract?"
"It's right here in front of me." Shannon glanced uneasily at the three-part document lying on the table.
"Fine. Don't sign anything until I get over there."
Shannon sighed, too elated by the buyer's visit to argue. "All right, Garth." She paused. "Are you going to be working much later tonight?"
"We're getting some last-minute sections of a proposal ready. I'll probably be here until nine or ten."
"Oh." She was shocked but tried not to show it. "Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you," she heard herself say.
"It's all right, honey." But she could hear the impatience in his voice. He had a lot of work ahead of him tonight, and he wanted to get back to it. "Congratulations on your big sale. I'll call you tomorrow, and we'll discuss it further."
"Fine. Good night, Garth." Shannon hung up the phone wishing she'd never had the urge to call his office.
She was an intruder there. There was no doubt about it, regardless of how polite people were when she called. She didn't even know the name of Garth's secretary or how close the man called Wes was to him. She knew so damn little about Garth Sheridan's other life, and he seemed very unwilling to share it with her.
Next weekend the business side of his life would steal even the short time she might normally have had with Garth. Shannon was
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