“You are at work,” Tyler growled. “Good morning,” he said to the young man operating the elevator, effectively cutting off Hailey’s chance to argue with him. The young man was dressed in a costume made to look like the fringed buckskins of a frontiersman.
“Good morning, Miss Ashton,” he said deferentially, recognizing her at once. He nodded politely to Tyler.
“Good morning, Randy,” she said, quickly reading his name tag.
“We’d like to go up on the platform, Randy,” Tyler said.
The young man cast a permission-seeking glance at Hailey. “It’s all right, Randy. This is Mr. Tyler Scott. He owns Serendipity.”
The boy’s face flooded with hot color. “Oh, yeah, sure. I … Sure,” he stammered. “It’s just you know, we’re not supposed to let anyone … I mean …”
“You did just fine,” Tyler assured him. “Now, may we go up? And please don’t let anyone else go up until we come down. We’re planning some innovations for next season.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Scott.”
Hailey knew she had been taken advantage of, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it without embarrassing herself, not to mention poor Randy. Docilely she preceded Tyler into the elevator.
“Any aversion to heights?” he asked as the elevator whisked them up.
“The only aversion I have is to overbearing men.”
“Then you couldn’t possibly be referri
ng to me because I’m the epitome of charm.” He flashed her a devastating grin just as the doors to the elevator swished open. “Ladies first,” he said mockingly, bowing from the waist.
She stamped out ahead of him, only to be caught before she had taken more than three steps and pulled around to face him. “Okay, Hailey. This has gone far enough. What did you mean by that enigmatic question about baby-sitters last night before you so cowardly sneaked out?”
“I didn’t sneak,” she countered hotly. “And I’m not a coward.”
“No? I think using a child to wiggle out of a situation is cowardly.”
“Don’t talk to me about using people, Mr. Scott. I could take lessons from you.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“As if you didn’t know. Using compliments and kisses to get yourself a free baby-sitter.” There. She had said it. She raised her chin in triumph. Her victory was sweet and extremely short-lived. Tyler threw his head back and roared with laughter.
When it finally subsided, he looked down at her and said in a voice still rumbling with humor, “You have a very low opinion of yourself. A free baby-sitter? Is that what you thought I wanted you for?”
“Didn’t you?” she asked haughtily.
He shook his head and tightened his fingers around her shoulders. “No, Hailey. Why would I be concerned about paying a baby-sitter?”
“It’s not the money. It’s that Faith likes me. Your conscience doesn’t trouble you when you have to leave her, because you believe that I’ll be a substitute for you.”
“It’s true that I’m glad you two get along so well. I told you that you’re good for her and I meant it. If she despised you or vice versa, it would be harder for our relationship to flourish.”
“Our … ? We have no relationship. We won’t have one.”
“Why do you fight it, Hailey?” He shook his head affectionately. “At the risk of infuriating you further, I’ll tell you that I asked Harmon about you. Not in a way that would arouse his curiosity,” he hastened to add when he felt her back stiffening. “I wanted to know about the other men in your life. He told me there had been no small number of men in park-related jobs who had tried to thaw the cold hauteur of Miss Ashton, but as far as he knew, none had succeeded. Even Harmon, married as he is, got a wistful look on his face when he spoke of you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You see? That’s what I’m talking about. Why is it ridiculous?”
“Because men don’t think of me that way. I’m not the type.”
He smiled tenderly. “Oh, you’re the type all right. Why can’t you believe that I want you for the woman you are without attaching some lurid motivation to it? First it was sexual harassment that might cost you your job. Now it’s using you to provide a companion for my daughter. What outrageous accusations, Hailey.”