High-Powered, Hot-Blooded

Eight

Annie knocked on Duncan’s front door. She was more nervous than she had been before their first date, but this anxiety had nothing to do with Duncan. Instead she was about to meet his only living family member-Lawrence Patrick-and she desperately wanted the older man to like her.

She’d brought a Bundt cake and two DVDs, but wasn’t sure about either. Maybe she should have brought her cousins or Kami to be a distraction.

The door opened and she saw a tall, handsome, older man with graying hair and eyes that were exactly like Duncan’s.

“You must be Annie,” the gentleman said. “Come in, come in. I’ve been waiting to meet you, but Duncan has insisted on keeping you all to himself. Probably because he knows I have a way with the ladies.” Lawrence winked at her, then gave her a warm smile that melted away her nervousness.

He took the cake container from her and sniffed. “Do I smell chocolate? My favorite.”

“I’m glad. It’s lovely to finally meet you,” she said, closing the door behind her.

“And you, young lady. I’m hearing very good things about you. My nephew isn’t one to speak well of others, so you must be something special.”

Duncan strolled toward them. “Come on, Lawrence,” he said with a resigned sigh. “Let’s wait at least ten minutes before you go telling Annie all of my flaws.”

His uncle chuckled. “All right, but no longer.” He turned to Annie. “Duncan has a teleconference with China in a few minutes. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other while he’s tied up.”

“I look forward to it,” she said.

“Great,” Duncan muttered, but there was humor lurking in his gray eyes and he pulled her close for a brief kiss. “Don’t fall for the old guy’s charm. He’s had decades of practice with the ladies.”

She laughed. “Maybe I like a man who knows what he’s doing.”

“Sassy,” Lawrence said. “I like that.”

They went into the great room. Annie pulled out one of the DVDs she’d brought. “I saw this and couldn’t resist.”

Lawrence stared at the cover, then started laughing.

Duncan shook his head. “You’re encouraging him.”

Annie set the copy of the movie Rocky on the coffee table and settled on the sofa across from Lawrence. The older man took a comfortable chair, while Duncan sat next to her.

“Rocky was a southpaw,” Lawrence told her. “Left handed. They’re a special breed. A lot of fighters don’t want anything to do with them. They can’t adjust. A great boxer knows how to think, how to anticipate.”

Duncan stood. “I’m going to get ready for my call. Feel free to doze off, Annie. Lawrence loves to talk.”

“I’ll be telling her your secrets,” Lawrence said.

“I have no doubt.”

Duncan went into his study. Lawrence barely waited for the door to close before saying, “I know about the deal you have with Duncan. Why you’re helping him.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t been expecting him to say that. “My brother has some problems. This seemed the only way to get him help.”

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. But you’re not acting like someone doing a job. Are you that good an actress?”

She looked down at her lap, then back at him. “No. I’m not. I like Duncan. He can seem really hard and distant, but I don’t think that’s who he is. There’s kindness in him. He’s a good man.”

Lawrence nodded slowly. “Not too many people see that side of him. They believe the press. It takes strength to take a failing business and grow it into an empire. He did that. He fought his way out of his circumstances.”

Circumstances Annie didn’t know much about. “I know you helped raise him,” she said.

“The blind leading the blind,” Lawrence told her. “My sister was a flake. She was a lot younger than me-a surprise baby. Our parents were so happy to have another child. They adored her. She was spoiled, always getting her way. After they died, she took her half of the money and disappeared. A couple years later, she came back pregnant. Wouldn’t say who the father was. I’m not sure she knew. She had Duncan, then took off again. That’s how it was, the first dozen or so years of his life. She would come and go. It broke his heart.”

Annie looked at the closed study door and wondered about the little boy who had been abandoned over and over by his mother.

“When Duncan was eleven or twelve, he told his mother to either stay or go. She had to pick. I think he was hoping she would choose to be a part of his life. Instead she disappeared. He never mentioned her again. I got word a few years later that she’d died. I told him. He said it didn’t matter.”

Hiding the pain, she thought sadly. Because it had to have mattered. First his mother had betrayed him, then Valentina had. Duncan had learned difficult lessons from the women who were supposed to love him. No wonder he didn’t let anyone inside.

“I was hard on him,” Lawrence admitted. “I didn’t know anything about raising a kid. I took him to the gym with me, taught him to box. He was set on college, which confused the hell out of me, but he made it. Got a scholarship and everything.” There was pride in his voice.

“He’s a good man, and a lot of that is because of you,” she said.

“I hope so. You know about his ex-wife?”

She nodded.

“There was a disaster. I never liked her and I’m glad she’s gone, but now I worry Duncan won’t ever settle down. He needs a family. Someone to come home to.”

Not a very subtle message, Annie thought, wishing it were a possibility. “Duncan was very clear,” she said. “This is a business relationship, nothing more.”

“Is that what you want?”

A simple question with an easy answer. “I’m not the only one who gets to decide.”

“Maybe not, but you can influence him.”

“You’re giving me too much credit.”

“You’d be surprised.”

If only, she thought. After all he’d been through, she wasn’t sure Duncan would ever be willing to give his heart and she couldn’t settle for anything less.

“I hope he finds someone,” she said.

“Even if that means someone other than you?”

“Of course.”

Lawrence stared at her for a long time. “You know what? I believe you. Which makes me hope things work out. Don’t give up on my nephew, Annie. He’s not easy, but he’s worth it.”

Before she could say anything in response, the study door opened and Duncan came out.

“You about done telling her all my secrets?” he asked his uncle.”

“No, but we made a good start at it.”

Duncan chuckled. “Glad I could help. Ready to watch the movie?”

“Sure.” Lawrence winked at her. “While he’s playing with his electronics, let me tell you about the time I beat a southpaw. It was back in ’72. Miami. Talk about a hot day.”

Duncan groaned, putting the DVD into the player.

“I don’t mind,” Annie said honestly. “Were you the favorite?”

Lawrence grinned. “Honey, I was practically a god.”

Annie shelved her heart-to-heart with Lawrence as her commitments with Duncan took center stage. The following Monday, she attended a party at an art gallery that featured stark modern paintings that were beyond confusing. The single tiny red dot on the snow-white canvas was the least of the strangeness. There was a collection of black paintings. Just black. Apparently they were supposed to represent bleakness, and as far as she was concerned, the artist had done a fine job.

Wednesday night was a charity fund-raiser with an auction of ornaments painted by celebrities. Duncan bought a beautiful tree done by Dolly Parton. For Lawrence, he claimed, but Annie wondered if he might have a little crush on the singer himself. Tonight was a dinner at the Getty Museum in Malibu. Duncan was picking her up at five, which meant she had to be home no later than four so she could get ready. She was nearly on time, a positive sign. Then she felt the telltale uneven thudding that signaled another flat tire.

“No!” Annie yelled, slapping her steering wheel. “Not tonight. It’s not a good time.” Although she couldn’t think when a better time might be. She was always running somewhere.

She pulled into a mini-mart parking lot and got out of her car. The sun blazed down on her. It might be December everywhere else, but in L.A. it felt like August.

She walked around her car. Sure enough, the right front tire was flat. She had a spare and a jack. She even knew how to change the tire. Assuming she could get the lug nuts unfastened.

She glanced at her watch, groaned at the time, then reached for her cell phone. No way she was going to be ready by five.

Seconds later the call was picked up. “Mr. Patrick’s line.”

“Annie McCoy for Duncan.”

“Of course, Ms. McCoy. I’ll put you right through.”

“Another crisis?” Duncan asked when he took the call.

“Yes. I have a flat tire. I’ll be a little late. Do you want me to meet you there?”

“You need new tires.”

She stared at the worn treads and rolled her eyes. “Obviously. I’ll get them. I’ve been saving. In another two months I’ll have enough.”

“It’s nearly the rainy season. You need them before then.”

Probably, but no amount of needing brought in more money each month. She rubbed her temple, feeling the exhaustion creep into her bones. She’d been out late every night this week and still had to get up early for school. Fifteen five-year-olds kept her running all day. The last thing she needed was Duncan stating the obvious.

“I appreciate the heads-up,” she said, trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt. “Look, it’s hot, I’m tired. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“Let me buy you the tires.”

“No.” She drew in a breath. “No, thank you.”

“You’re supposed to be where I say, when I say. If new tires are required to get you there, then you’ll get new tires.”

“That is not a part of our deal,” she told him, angry and sad at the same time. “You’re not buying me tires. You’re not buying me anything else. The freezer was too much, and I’ve already accepted that.”

“Why are you mad?”

“I just am.” She wanted to get out of the sun and heat. She wanted to curl up somewhere and sleep for two days. But mostly she didn’t want to be Duncan Patrick’s charity case.

“Annie? Talk to me.”

“I don’t have anything to say. I’ll meet you there. I know how to change a tire. It won’t take long.”

He was silent. Worry replaced annoyance.

“Duncan, I’m sorry I snapped. I know this is part of our deal. I’m not backing out of it.”

“Is that what you think? That after all this time, I would pull your brother out of rehab and toss him in jail?”

“No, but…”

“Which means yes.”

“It means I owe you. I’m just crabby. It’s hot, I’m tired. Let me get home and dressed and I’ll be better.”

“No,” he said. “Just go home. You’ve got the Christmas play at school tomorrow night. You have to be rested for that.”

“Winter festival,” she corrected.

“Right. Because everyone is fooled.”

“Exactly.” Her bad mood faded a little. “I want to come to the party.”

“No, you don’t. Go home. Rest. It’s okay.”

She could take a bath, she thought wistfully. Sip some wine from the box. “Really?”

“Yes. About the tires…”

She groaned. “Don’t make me have to hit you the next time I see you. I have a great jab.”

“You have a sad excuse for a jab. It would be like being attacked by a butterfly.”

Probably true, she thought. “You’re not buying me tires.”

“What if I set up an employee discount? I buy a lot of tires for my trucks. I have a service bay here. If it was available to everyone who worked here, would you use it?”

She would guess a lot of Patrick Industries employees would appreciate the discount as much as she would. For the greater good, she told herself. “After I see the announcement in writing.”

“You’re a tough negotiator.”

“I spend my day dealing with five-year-olds. I have skills.”

“I can see that. Are you okay changing the tire? I could send someone.”

“By the time he got here, I’d be finished. I’ve done this before.”

“Call me when you get home so I know you’re okay.”

The request stunned her. “Um, sure. I will.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

She pressed the end button to disconnect the call, then walked around to the trunk where the jack and spare waited.

Suddenly it wasn’t nearly as hot as it had been and she wasn’t tired anymore. Duncan wanted her to let him know she was all right. He worried about her. Maybe it wasn’t much, but as it was all she had, she was going to hang on to it with both hands.

Friday evening, Annie checked to make sure all her students were in their white men’s T-shirts, with the fabric wings sewn on the back. Glitter-covered cardboard halos bounced over the five-year-olds’ small heads. Once everyone was accounted for, she took a second to glance through the edge of the thick drapes to see if Duncan had arrived. Something she’d been doing every half minute or so since she’d arrived.

He still wasn’t there. Which was fine, she told herself. He’d said he would try to get there, which was probably a polite way of saying he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t as if they were really dating. What gorgeous single guy wanted to spend Friday night with a bunch of other people’s kids?

She held in a sigh as she backed away from the drapes. Only to bump into something warm and solid.

She turned and saw Duncan standing behind her.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted.

“You asked me to come.”

She laughed, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “No, I mean backstage.”

“I wanted to say hi before the program started. One of the moms is saving me a seat.”

Annie took in the broad shoulders, the strong features and the way he filled out his suit. “I’ll just bet she is.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to see if you were still pissed.”

“I was never pissed.”

Humor brightened his gray eyes. “Now you’re lying about it.”

“I’m not. I was annoyed. There’s a difference.”

“You were pissed. You were practically screaming about the tires. Talk about shrill.”

He was teasing, which she liked a lot. Back when they’d first met, she would never have imagined it possible.

“I was calm and rational,” she told him.

“You were a girl. Admit it.”

“I could hit you right now.”

“You could and no one would notice. Especially not me.” He took her arm and led her into a shadowy alcove. “Here.” He handed her a piece of paper.

She looked at it. The sheet was a printout of a memo, detailing the new policy on discounted tires.

“Now will you get your damn car fixed?”

She stared at him, knowing that while he’d been helping her, he was also helping a lot of other people. “I will,” she said, raising herself onto tiptoes and lightly kissing him. “I promise.”

He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Good. You’re a pain in the ass. You know that, right?”

She giggled. “Yes. You’re dictatorial. And annoying.”

They hung on to each other for several seconds. Annie loved the feel of him, the strength and heat of his body. As always, being close to him made her feel safe.

“I have to get back to my class,” she said reluctantly. “They’re wearing cardboard halos that won’t really survive very long.”

“Okay. I’ll see you after the Christmas thing.”

“Winter festival.”

“Whatever. I’ll see you.”

“Yes,” she said and watched him walk away.

She knew then that despite the fact that she’d only known him a few weeks, she was well on her way to being in love with him. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He was better in every way possible.

He’d promised not to ask her to be friends and she trusted him to keep his word. But he’d also promised when the holiday season was over, so was their relationship. And she knew he would keep his word on that, as well. Wishing for more wouldn’t change the outcome. Duncan had told her once that, in his life, somebody always won and somebody always lost. This time, she had a bad feeling the loser would be her.

Monday morning Duncan walked into his office to find a plate of cookies on his desk. They were covered in holiday plastic wrap and there was a handwritten note attached.

Dear Mr. Patrick,

Thank you so much for the new tire discount you announced on Friday. I’m a single mom with three kids and money is always tight. I’ve needed new tires for a while now and simply couldn’t afford them. The discount means safer driving for my family.

I’ve always enjoyed working for Patrick Industries. Thank you for giving me another reason to be proud of my place of employment.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Sincerely,

Natalie Jones

Accounts Payable

Duncan had no idea who the woman was or how long she’d worked for the company. He unwrapped the cookies and bit into one. Chocolate chip. His favorite.

Still chewing, he crossed to the windows overlooking the six-story atrium in the center of the building. He could see people coming in to start their week. People he’d never bothered to get to know.

Ten years ago, he would have been able to name every employee. He’d worked twenty-hour days, struggling to make the company profitable, then to grow it as quickly as possible. For the past few years, he’d had contact with his senior management team, his assistant and no one else. He didn’t have time.

Who were these people who worked for him? Why had they chosen this company and not another? Did they like their jobs? Should that even matter to him?

He looked back at the note and the plate of cookies. Annie would be a disaster as a boss, giving away more than the company made. But maybe it was time for him to leave the confines of his office and remember what it was like to know his employees. To listen instead of command. To ask instead of demand. Maybe it was time to stop being the meanest CEO in the country.