Bright Tomorrow Read online

  Bright Tomorrow

  By

  Linda Wisdom

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  He Pulled Her into His Arms.

  "If you pack a picnic lunch tomorrow, I'll bring the wine." His warm breath fanned her cheek as he spoke.

  "Is that a request or an order?" Lisa asked breathlessly.

  "I'll make it an order. Then I know you'll do it." He was unabashed. "You always follow my orders."

  "So far," she teased.

  Dan pressed a hard kiss against her lips. "Be ready at nine."

  Then he was gone, and it was only later that Lisa wondered where the hard, arrogant Dan of the office had been tonight.

  LINDA WISDOM counts writing chief among her many interests. The world of the imagination has always been real to her, and with her novels she is able to bring everyone's dreams of love and romance to life.

  Dear Reader:

  Silhouette Romances is an exciting new publishing venture. We will be presenting the very finest writers of contemporary romantic fiction as well as outstanding new talent in this field. It is our hope that our stories, our heroes and our heroines will give you, the reader, all you want from romantic fiction.

  Also, you play an important part in our future plans for Silhouette Romances. We welcome any suggestions or comments on our books and I invite you to write to us at the address below.

  So, enjoy this book and all the wonderful romances from Silhouette. They're for you!

  Karen Solem

  Editor-in-Chief

  Silhouette Books

  P.O. Box 769

  New York, N.Y. 10019

  Other Silhouette Books by Linda Wisdom

  Dancer in the Shadows

  Fourteen Karat Beauty

  Copyright © 1982 by Linda Wisdom

  ISBN: 0-671-57132-X

  First Silhouette Books printing February, 1982

  To Diane, for all her help in bringing this book to life

  Chapter One

  "It isn't fair, Mark," Lisa Winters argued with her boss on Friday afternoon. "Why me? There are other secretaries here who are just as capable as I am, if not more so. From everything I've heard about Dan Nolan, he's the last man I'd want to work for. He thinks he's a media star, not a lawyer."

  "I realize this is unexpected, Lisa," Mark said heavily. "But having Dan Nolan come into the firm is very important to us. It was decided at a meeting of the senior partners that you would best fill the bill as his secretary. This change will also include a handsome raise for you." He dangled this last bit in front of her.

  Mark Connors stood up, stretching tiredly. He was a man in his mid-forties, and his dark hair was liberally sprinkled with gray, giving him a distinguished air. His dark brown eyes took in the young woman seated across from him. Her shoulder-length hair, the shade of golden fire, and her liquid emerald eyes could not be viewed without interest by any man. In the eighteen months Lisa had been his secretary, Mark had come to see her as more than just someone to grace his front office and carry out routine duties.

  "There's another reason for this change, isn't there, Mark?" Lisa asked in a low voice, looking up at him with somber eyes. "It's because of us. The talk going around about us."

  Mark turned to look out the window, appearing to study the tall office building across the street. "There was bound to be some gossip, Lee," he said quietly. "Especially about a man who's barely been a widower for ten months. So what if all we've had were a few lunches, dinner occasionally. You know how such gossip is frowned upon here. So everyone will simply be told that Dan Nolan is being given a secretary familiar with the firm's policies and procedures."

  Lisa's well-shaped mouth, a mouth that showed the promise of sensuality, now curved into a slow, bitter smile. "Do you think anyone will believe it?"

  Mark turned to face her. "No," he replied honestly. "And I don't care. I enjoy your company, Lee. I want to go on seeing you, if you're agreeable."

  Lisa rose swiftly and approached Mark until she stood close enough to him that he smelled the distinctive fragrance of her perfume. "I'm agreeable, Mr. Connors," she said demurely, her eyes dancing with laughter.

  "Miss Winters, I suggest you leave before I find some additional duties for you," Mark said suddenly.

  "Yes, sir," she murmured, taking her leave.

  "Lisa." His voice followed her out of the office. "Dan Nolan will be here Monday, and we're giving him John Stanton's office."

  "Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is taken care of," she answered. Her manner was now that of an efficient secretary. "Good night, Mark. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

  Lisa's smile disappeared as she walked outside. Dan Nolan, of all people! She had never met the man, but she had seen his picture in the newspaper, accompanying articles written on a few of his cases. He was rapidly becoming a lawyer well-known for his caustic tongue and fiery delivery in the courtroom. She knew him to be in his early thirties, single, good-looking and known also for his conquests of the opposite sex. Beautiful women vied for the honor of being at his side at various social functions. He was the type of man Lisa preferred to stay far away from. Instead, it seemed, she would be working just about as close to him as she could get!

  Half an hour later, Lisa parked her car in the carport of her apartment and absently looked out at the silhouette of a tall, snow-covered mountain, dark against the early evening sky. The mountain wasn't a true mountain made of earth, rocks and snow, but was a facsimile of the famous Swiss Matterhorn, a popular Disneyland ride. Lisa noted that it wouldn't be long before summer would be here and the nightly fireworks displays would begin, fireworks that could easily be seen from her kitchen window.

  Locking her car, she headed for her apartment. She was soon opening the door to the small place she shared with her cousin. The two girls had grown up in the same town, Ventura. They were still best friends, and still close to their parents, who approved of their joint living arrangement.

  "Well, I see you timed your arrival well; I've just finished making dinner," her cousin called out.

  "It shouldn't have taken you very- long, since all you did was throw everything into the crock pot this morning before you left for work," Lisa teased, shrugging off her tan blazer.

  Debra Stevens, Lisa's cousin and roommate, walked out of the compact kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron covering her jeans. Her long, dark brown hair was held away from her face with a cotton scarf, and her green eyes twinkled merrily.

  "Beef stew is cheap, kid." Debra grinned. "Especially if there are more vegetables in it than meat."

  "Well, whatever it is, I'm starved. I had to work through my lunch hour and stay late. Do I have time to change before we eat?"

  "Sure," Debra replied, walking back into the kitchen.

  Lisa went into the large bedroom the two young women shared. She quickly shed her tan skirt and gold-and-brown-striped silk shirt, changing into jeans and a yellow T-shirt. Hanging up her skirt, her mind flashed back to the conversation she had had with Mark before she left the office. "Drat Dan Nolan," she muttered between clenched teeth.

  Going back into the kitchen, Lisa found that Debra had the table already set, with the earthenware crock pot in the center. Lisa sniffed appreciatively, remembering the lunch she had missed. "Is tomorrow your Saturday to work?" she asked Debra, as she sat down.

  "Unfortunately, yes," Debra sighed. "Though I feel as if I'm going to come down with a good case of fleas any day now." She was referring to her jo
b as a veterinary assistant at a large animal hospital. "How was your day?"

  "Fine, until the end." Lisa grimaced. "Now that Mr. Stanton has retired, they've brought in a new lawyer."

  "Oh? Anyone gorgeous and available?"

  "It's Dan Nolan."

  "Dan Nolan!" Debra squealed. "The Dan Nolan? The one who is always seen with rich and beautiful women? He sure is sexy-looking."

  "Be that as it may, I have to work for him," Lisa said glumly.

  "I think that's great. I am surprised, though, because I read an article about him in the newspaper once, and it seemed to indicate that he didn't believe in working for large firms. How did Patterson and Marsh manage to tempt him?" Debra asked.

  "Who knows?" Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "But Mark told me that I'll be working for Dan Nolan as of Monday. It was a collective decision made by the senior partners. They make it sound like a promotion for me, of course."

  "Didn't I tell you something like this would happen?" Debra said, without a trace of smugness in her voice. Her enthusiasm was for her cousin. "Those men are still living in the days when it was considered unseemly for the boss to date his secretary. They don't have any reason to fire you, so they'll just get you out of Mark's sight all day. Maybe they think this will be enough to break up your relationship."

  "Mark and I are only friends," Lisa said defensively. "A few dinners and they all believe we're having an affair."

  Debra leaned back in her chair, a mischievous grin on her face. "Poor Lisa. Considered a fallen woman and not even close to being tainted."

  "Look who's talking," Lisa jeered back good-naturedly. "Miss 'no' of all time."

  "And it's going to stay my favorite word, too, if the dates I've had lately are any indication."

  Lisa had always enjoyed Mark's company because he expected nothing from her; he simply wanted her to be a pleasant companion during their evenings together. This Saturday evening was no exception, as he escorted her to a well-known restaurant.

  "You're not happy over this change, are you?" Mark asked quietly, studying the brandy in his glass as they relaxed after dinner.

  Lisa set her cup of Irish coffee down and looked across the table at him. "I dislike having to change because of idle gossip." She sighed heavily. "I value my privacy and I feel as if it's been invaded. They make our friendship seem dirty, somehow."

  "What they really want to put a stop to is my mid-life crisis." He smiled. "It's not considered seemly, even in these enlightened times, for a man over forty to chase after a young and attractive woman barely over twenty. Contrary to popular belief, there's still a name for a man like that. Especially when that man is one of the senior partners in an old and established law firm."

  "Mark, you're a widower in the prime of your life, not some dirty old man chasing after teenagers," Lisa protested. "I understand that you still miss Ann. She was a warm and loving woman. But I don't think she would have wanted you to spend the rest of your life grieving for her. She valued life too much for that."

  "You seem to know what Ann would want for me better than I do," he said sadly.

  Lisa leaned forward, covering his hand with hers. "Because I would hope that my husband wouldn't grieve if I were gone," she said gently. "I would want him to go on living."

  Later that evening Mark left Lisa at her door after a light good-night kiss on the lips. When she entered the apartment she found Debra curled up on the carpet surrounded by books.

  "Early night," Debra commented, taking her glasses off. "Was Mark afraid you'd turn into a pumpkin if he kept you out too late?"

  "I can see you've had an exciting evening," Lisa said, preferring to ignore her roommate's dry sarcasm, as she collapsed into a nearby easy chair.

  "I'm charting Pat's horoscope." Debra was referring to the man she had been dating off and on for the past few months.

  "And?"

  "Everything is in his favor—and in mine." Debra smiled confidently. "Everything I read about his sign is so true of him. His calm, easy attitude toward life, the rare flare-ups of temper, everything. In fact, he's so true to form it almost scares me." She replaced her glasses on her nose.

  Lisa grinned, knowing her cousin's passion for keeping her life geared to the stars. "I suppose you've also already studied up on Mark and me?"

  "Right after you accepted that first dinner invitation from him," Debra said without shame.

  "What did you find out about us?"

  "He's too methodical for you, Lee," Debra said candidly. "I have an idea that you only date him right now because he doesn't demand anything from you. You want someone who won't make a heavy-handed pass at you. But there's going to come a time when you want fireworks and violin music and Mark Connors won't be able to give them to you."

  "This is all too ridiculous." Lisa stood up, painfully aware that Debra's words were all too true. None of Mark's caresses or kisses had ever excited her in the least. "Astrology just isn't logical. And I don't think I'd care to go through life checking every day to see what was going to happen in the future. I'd rather be surprised. Right now, though, I'm tired; I think I'll go to bed." She said this over her shoulder as she walked toward the bedroom.

  "Just wait until you find someone special and you want to find out about him," Debra called after her. "Then you'll be ready to ask my advice. And I'm not too sure if I'll be willing to give it. But stay away from a Pisces in any case."

  Lisa spent the remainder of the weekend in not looking forward to going back to work. When Monday finally arrived, she was determined to give the effect of the professional, efficient secretary at first glance. Her rust-colored skirt and jacket, with an earth-toned silk shirt, gave the desired effect. Her heavy hair, pinned up into a French twist, finished the picture.

  Lisa arrived at the office while all was still quiet. She quickly scanned her new boss's office, assuring herself that all was ready. In a short time she transferred her personal belongings to her new desk. Then she went into the small room where the coffee maker was kept and soon had coffee brewing. Minutes later she carried a cup back to her desk, sipping the hot liquid.

  "Good morning, Lisa." She looked up on hearing the familiar voice.

  "Mr. Connors," she said formally, linking her hands in front of her on the top of her new desk.

  "Lisa, I'd like you to meet Dan Nolan." Even Mark's voice seemed oddly tense and formal.

  Lisa's eyes were cool as they passed from Mark to the tall figure behind him. She had to admit that Dan Nolan was very good-looking indeed. Well over six feet, he had dark blond hair that would lighten naturally in the bright summer sun and blue eyes that would undoubtedly warm with passion, though they were cool with disinterest right now.

  "Dan, this is Lisa Winters. She's thoroughly familiar with our procedures and policies. I'm sure you'll find her very helpful."

  "Mr. Nolan." Lisa formally inclined her head, allowing herself only a thin, polite smile. "Welcome to Patterson and Marsh."

  "Thank you, Miss Winters." His well-shaped mouth seemed to twist into an amused grin. Was he aware of how much she disliked him already? "Or would you prefer Ms.?"

  "Whichever you feel most comfortable with, Mr. Nolan," she replied demurely. When she turned toward Mark her smile was warmer than usual. "I left some notes for Barbara, telling her where the most important files might be found if they're not in their usual places. I'm sure she'll be fine, but she can call me with any questions if she needs to."

  "Well, uh… yes, thank you." Mark shifted his stance, uncomfortable under the younger man's steady gaze. "I'll see you later, Nolan."

  The two of them were now alone, but Lisa's eyes refused to waver in the face of his cool blue stare. "I've checked your office and it seems to have everything you might need," she said politely. "Of course, if you do need anything else, please let me know and I'll take care of it at once."

  "I take my coffee black," Dan announced, walking into his office and looking around, not missing one book or furnishing during his vi
sual inspection. "Naturally, I expect you to open any mail not marked personal," he called out to her. "With any correspondence I dictate I prefer to see a typed rough draft first. And I assume that you're well versed in screening calls."

  Lisa sat tensely at her desk, slowly counting to ten, then she began all over again. Still muttering under her breath, she rose and walked toward the coffee room. One of the secretaries passed her with a sly grin. "Lucky you," she whispered. "He's a doll."

  "The kind I'd like to stick pins in," Lisa said through clenched teeth.

  Moments later, carrying a filled coffee cup, black, she entered Dan's office. Suppressing the childish urge to dump the hot coffee in his lap, she set the cup on his desk.

  "Your coffee, Mr. Nolan," she said crisply.

  "Thank you, Miss Winters." His husky voice held a trace of amusement. "If you had poured that hot coffee in my lap, you would have made, in addition to me, many lovely ladies very unhappy."

  "Well, we couldn't have that, could we?" Lisa said tartly, turning to leave.

  "Miss Winters." The deep voice stopped her in her tracks. "I don't want an office robot, so I would appreciate a secretary with a little courtesy and someone who will look out for her boss's interests and welfare. I hope I can count on you for that."

  "I'm sure you won't have cause to find fault with any of my secretarial skills, Mr. Nolan." She refused to give him a direct answer. There was something unnerving in the way he was looking at her, as if he was trying to see into her soul. She would have to watch her step with this man.

  "You may go, Miss Winters."

  Lisa pointedly closed the door behind her as she returned to her desk. And she was still fuming later that morning as she surveyed the stack of papers sitting on her desk, waiting to be sorted and filed. Dan Nolan had wasted no time in going through the files, deciding what was to be kept and what was to be stored in the office archives.