by Jackie Braun
“You work for him, too.”
Collin shrugged. “I do what I have to.”
“And what is that, exactly?”
But he shook his head. “The important thing here is that your father doesn’t trust the man. Frankly, neither do I.”
“Why don’t you trust him?” she asked, truly curious to hear Collin’s answer. Perhaps he was privy to some office gossip or other information he’d gleaned either from around the water cooler or his contacts outside the company.
“I don’t care for his interest in you,” he replied bluntly.
The kiss she and Brody had shared in her foyer made it impossible now to claim her new employer’s interest was purely professional. Still, she heaved a sigh and said, “He’s my boss.”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I can name half a dozen other Douglass executives more qualified for the position he gave you.”
“You included, of course.”
Collin jiggled the car keys he still held in his hand. “I deserve that for how I acted the other day. But this isn’t sour grapes. Do yourself a favor and keep an eye on Flynn. Pay close attention to what he’s up to.”
“And what? Report back to you?”
She started to laugh, only to sober when Collin replied, “Or to your father. Jonathon will want to know.”
“Collin—”
“Listen, Katherine, if you want your dad to see you as an equal and treat you like an adult, you need to behave like one. The business world is no place for Pollyannas. If you can’t see that Brody Flynn is using you, then you’re every bit as gullible as your father believes you are.”
She tried to huff out a breath, but it caught in her throat.
Were Collin and her father right? Was she playing into Brody’s hands?
Chapter Eight
When the elevator dinged, Brody stiffened. Who would be at the Douglass offices on a Sunday evening? He was only here because his sisters had wanted a tour before the three of them headed to dinner. Not only had Jenna and Jessie picked the restaurant—a trendy karaoke bar off Michigan Avenue—but they also were insisting that they would pick up the bill. They were taking him out for his birthday, and they wanted to celebrate his new business venture.
As far as his younger siblings knew, it was merely that: business. He’d wanted their lives to be carefree and normal—well, as normal as was possible growing up without parents. So he had kept secret the demons that had driven him these past several years. Jenna and Jessie of course knew the role the shipping company had played in their parents’ death, but they had no clue as to the very personal nature of this takeover. He’d couched it in terms of poetic justice or karma rather than calling it what it was: revenge. For that reason, they weren’t privy to the myriad emotions that lingered inside Brody despite his well-executed plan.
Nor was the woman who came into view a moment later.
Kate hesitated as she passed his open doorway, a wary look on her face. “You must think I’m looking for brownie points, coming in on a Sun— Oh, hello.” Her brows shot up in surprise when she spied Jenna. His sister stood just to the right of his desk, passing the paperweight she’d made him for Christmas several years ago from hand to hand.
“Hi.” Jenna smiled.
Jessie, who had been seated on the couch busily updating her Instagram account with the pictures she’d taken during the tour, stopped what she was doing and stood.
Since introductions were unavoidable, Brody made them. “These are my sisters, Jenna and Jessie. Girls, this is Kate Douglass.”
He regretted the inclusion of Kate’s surname as soon as it passed his lips.
“Douglass?” Jenna’s eyes widened, and her gaze cut to Brody.
“She’s a Douglass?” Jessie didn’t pull any punches when she added, “My brother’s being here must be a bitter pill for you to swallow, then.”
“God, Jess!” Jenna, the more tactful of the two by far, looked horrified.
The two young women were as different as night was from day. Jenna was petite and blonde, while Jessie, like Brody, was tall and solidly built with dark hair and blue eyes.
Brody watched Kate closely and said nothing, for once grateful for Jessie’s penchant for blunt speech.
“I wasn’t overjoyed with the prospect,” Kate admitted slowly.
“Why are you working here?” Jessie pressed.
And wasn’t that the million-dollar question?
“I love this company. It’s in my blood. When other little girls were playing with dolls, I was mapping out shipping routes that would get those dolls from the factory to retailers. And trying to think of better ways to package them so more could get on the truck. I’m happy to still be part of Douglass.”
Good answer, he would give her that.
Jenna asked, “So, what is your position here?”
“Vice president of operations.”
“That sounds important,” Jessie said.
“It is. Of course, some people don’t think I should have gotten the job. They think your brother has ulterior motives for hiring me.”
What the hell? Vaguely, he was aware that his mouth had dropped open.
“If you think it’s a pity hire just because your last name is Douglass, you can forget it,” Jessie informed her. “My brother doesn’t operate that way.”
“He must think you’re qualified,” Jenna agreed.
“That’s because I am.” Kate smiled, but he detected something other than her usual confidence in her tone.
Brody cleared his throat. “You never said what you were doing here.”
Kate shrugged. “I thought I’d get a jump on that report you wanted done by Friday.”
He got the feeling she wasn’t being completely truthful. He decided to press the matter. “Is that the only reason you’re here?”
“What other reason would I have?” Her brows lifted and she held his gaze. Something about her was different tonight.
He settled on: “You seem…upset.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
There it was again, that hint of challenge. Something was on her mind. If his sisters hadn’t been present, he would have called her on it.
“You came into work on a Sunday to work on a report that’s not due till the end of the week? You need hobbies,” Jessie said with a roll of her eyes.
The remark startled a laugh out of Kate. “I probably do.”
“You sound just like Brody. Work, work, work. Well, except that he tries not to come into the office on weekends. He’s only here today because we wanted to see the spoils of …” Jessie’s voice trailed away. His usually obtuse sister apparently realized she was going too far.
Jenna jumped in and changed the subject. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly the change Brody would have hoped for. “So, Kate, are you single?”
“Duh! Her last name is Douglass,” Jessie shot back.
“She could have kept her maiden name. I plan to keep mine. Abbott is a great name. I like being at the very start of the alphabet.”
“Abbott?” Kate turned a questioning eye to Brody.
He stiffened. Did the name sound familiar to her? Even though she would have been a teenager at the time of his parents’ accident, did she remember the media coverage? Was she aware of the role her father and the company had had in their deaths? Brody had purposely kept the information from journalists who had reported on the takeover. Even those who had picked up on his seeming loathing for Jonathon Douglass were none the wiser. He had a plan for releasing it. Once ground broke on the new trauma center, he would hold a press conference at which time he would explain how he’d funded the new facility. And why. That would be his coup de grâce. After that he was sure he would never think of Jonathon Douglass again. Although he was certain the older man would never forget Brody or, more importantly, his parents.
Jessie was the one who answered Kate. “We’re halfs. Same mom, different dads.”
“Oh.” To Brody, Kate said
. “I didn’t realize we had having stepparents in common.”
He nodded. Stepparents and, thinking of her mother, deceased ones.
“Well?” Jenna persisted. “Are you single?”
Kate’s laughter was both amused and self-conscious. “I’m not married.”
“You have that in common with Brody, too,” Jessie said.
“Girls,” he warned. His sisters had been on him for the past several months to date. When negotiations for the takeover had begun in earnest, he simply hadn’t had time for a social life. Not that he ever brought women home to meet his sisters. His relationships didn’t last long enough for family introductions.
Kate sent him a sympathetic look as she took a step backward. “Well, I should get to work.”
Before she could head out the door, Jenna stopped her by saying, “Why don’t you join us for dinner?”
Kate turned. Her startled gaze cut to Brody, who kept his expression neutral. He was surprised to find that he wanted her to come along, and not only because he didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone in the office. He told himself it was because she was acting so strange this evening. Something was on her mind, and he wanted to know what it was.
When he didn’t say anything, she said to his sisters, “That’s kind, really, but I don’t want to intrude.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be.” Jenna waved a hand in dismissal.
“Yeah, the more the better,” Jessie put in. “We’re celebrating Brody’s birthday. It’s tomorrow.”
Kate smiled. “Yes, I remember.”
“And today is Kate’s,” he informed his sisters, who were sending one another not-so-subtle looks.
“Really? Oh my God! Happy birthday!” Jenna’s words came out in a rush and she grinned. “Even more reason to party.”
“Maybe she’s already eaten.” To Kate, he added, “On Friday you mentioned something about having dinner with your family today.”
“That was the plan, but I…left early.” At his raised eyebrows, she admitted, “My father wasn’t in much of a mood to celebrate my birthday or anything else.”
He swallowed the apology that sprang to his lips. He wasn’t sorry that Jonathon was in a foul mood, even if Brody was responsible for it. The man was just getting what he deserved. For that matter, he was getting off a hell of a lot easier than Brody’s parents had.
“Yeah. You totally should come with us. We’re going to have dinner at the Calico Club. We’re hoping to get Brody to sing,” Jessie said.
“Not going to happen.” He shook his head.
“We’ll see.” Jenna smiled innocently.
“How good is your voice?” Kate asked, apparently having decided his sisters would prevail.
“Come with us and find out,” Jessie put in before he could respond. She cut a cunning glance in his direction then and added, “Right, Brody?”
Even though his sisters were technically adults, the two still squabbled regularly. Brody found it annoying, but not nearly as worrisome as when they were in agreement. Which they were now, double-teaming him with innocent smiles that didn’t fool him one bit. They were playing matchmaker. He didn’t like it, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. And he had to admit, spending an evening in Kate’s company wouldn’t exactly be a hardship. As their lunch date on Friday had proved, the woman was as interesting and complex as she was beautiful. He’d barely scratched the surface in getting to know her. And he needed to know her. He needed to understand what made her tick.
“Girls, give us a minute, okay?”
His sisters slipped out of the office with a minimum of grumbling, closing the door behind them.
“Sorry about that,” he told Kate.
She shook her head. “No need to apologize. They’re very sweet.”
“They have their moments,” he agreed. “About dinner—”
“Don’t worry, Brody. I won’t crash your party.”
“No. It’s not that. You’re welcome to come along. In fact, I’d like that.” Which was a little too accurate for comfort.
Her tone was dry when she replied, “Given the way you’re frowning, now you’re being sweet.”
Brody chuckled. “There’s a description I don’t hear applied to me often, especially in the workplace.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I won’t let word get around.” After uttering that assurance, she turned toward the door.
“Kate, wait. Why are you really here? And don’t tell me it’s because of that damned report, either. Something is bothering you.”
Her back was to him, so he allowed his gaze to skim down her figure, taking in her curves. She was wearing a lightweight skirt that hugged her hips before flowing out to just above her knees. Her silk tank was butter yellow and complemented the centers of the flowers that adorned the skirt’s hem. It was the most casual he’d ever seen her, yet the way she held herself, she came across as unapproachable.
“Kate?” he tried again.
“It’s harder than I thought it would be,” she said so quietly that he had to step closer to hear the words. He stood directly behind her now, near enough that her fragrance caught him like a vise, holding him there. If he lowered his head, he would be able to nuzzle her neck and lose himself in her scent.
“Do you mean working for me?” he asked, distracted.
“My father thinks you’re using me.” She turned. Her gaze was steady and as lethal as the business end of a firearm when she asked point-blank, “Are you?”
Brody would give her credit for bluntness. He might be her boss, but Kate didn’t pull any punches. He decided to take a page from her playbook and went on the offensive.
“What do you think?”
“Answering a question with a question.” She shook her head, looking bemused. “Some people might say that means you have something to hide.”
He decided to think of this as a game of chess and Kate his worthy opponent. She was advancing on his king. He needed a bolder strategy.
“Okay, I am using you.” The way she sucked in a breath told him she hadn’t anticipated his honesty. Of course, he didn’t intend to be totally up front. Secrets had their uses. He went on. “The Douglass brand remains recognizable and respected throughout the Midwest.” It took an effort to choke out the respected part. If she noticed, she gave no indication. “Having a Douglass on staff, especially when that Douglass is you, is a bonus. And before you get offended, I’m referring to your brains as well as your looks. If your plans for revitalizing the hubs pan out, I stand to make even more money.”
She offered a hesitant smile. “So, it’s just business?”
It was business, but it wasn’t just business. He regretted that he wasn’t being completely truthful. He didn’t like deception. At least it wasn’t a fabrication when he replied, “I hope to finesse a lot of money out of this deal. I have an important use for it.”
He thought of the trauma center, the cost of which would run well over a quarter billion dollars to fit his exacting specifications. The office high-rise that had once occupied the land had been demolished, but breaking ground was a long way off. Blueprints for something so specialized and complex took time. Next week he and the hospital’s president would have a secret meeting with an architectural firm that Seth had highly recommended. Until the hospital had a check and the final set of blueprints in hand, the plans would be kept under wraps.
An impatient knock sounded at the door a moment before it opened. Jessie poked her head around the frame, offered the gamine grin that had gotten her out of countless scrapes as a teenager, and said, “Are you guys ready yet?”
Jenna came into view. “We’re sorry to be pushy, but we need to get going if we want to get a table close to the stage.”
“All set. Kate, are you coming?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Just to be clear,” Brody began. “I will not be singing.”
The smile she traded with his sisters made him nervous. “We’ll see.”
When she’d pulled into her spot in the parking structure and seen Brody’s SUV, Kate’s first instinct had been to put her car in reverse and leave. She’d come to the office hoping to bury herself in work and forget the doubts her father and Collin had planted. The fact that it was her birthday really was of no consequence. Instead, she now found herself in the front seat of Brody’s vehicle while his two sisters chatted away in the back.
What had she gotten herself into?
“Regretting coming along?” he asked quietly, almost as if he could read her mind.
“No. I just feel…awkward.”
“Why? It’s not as if we’re out on a date.” His gaze cut to her briefly. “And even if we were, we’re well chaperoned.”
He had a point. Still, it was hard not to feel as though she was imposing, especially once they were seated in the trendy restaurant awaiting their entrées and Jessie raised her glass of iced tea. They had already made a toast to Kate and Brody’s birthdays, a gesture she’d found sweet. Their inclusion of her into their midst was so easy and natural.
This time, Jessie said, “To our big brother. A man of many talents. We’ll get to the singing after dinner.”
“No. We won’t,” he inserted dryly.
Jessie didn’t debate him. She merely smiled and continued with her toast. “He knows how to braid hair, how to get a grass stain out of a soccer uniform, can build a dorm room loft from a handful of two-by-fours, made his first million at twenty-six, and now is running a Fortune 500 company.” Her grin disappeared and her tone turned serious. “Jenna and I are really proud of you.”
“That’s right.” Jenna raised her glass then and continued. “You’ve worked very hard and made a lot of sacrifices to accomplish all that you have, especially while watching out for the two of us. If Mom and Dad were alive, they’d be proud of you, too.” Her eyes misted. “We love you.”
Kate did her best to mask her surprise. Their parents were dead. When? How? And why had Brody’s gaze cut to hers just then, his eyes full of questions of his own? Before hers could take root, however, they were lost to an undercurrent of emotion so strong it was all Kate could do to keep from being swept up in it herself. Her family dynamics were so…so different. Strained, with her always trying to prove something to her father. She found herself envious of their easy love and affection for one another. Tragedy had brought them closer together, whereas her mother’s suicide had made her father so overprotective and overbearing it had pushed them apart.