Miss White and the Seventh Heir

by Jennifer Faye

  So all it took was a cute dog to win her over. He was beginning to wonder if Sage was having second thoughts about returning the dog. All he had to say was the owner better have an explanation for letting the dog loose and not searching for him. It better be a really good excuse.

  “Okay. Let’s get this over with.” Trey exited the car and quickly made his way around to open Sage’s door.

  Happy was so excited and wiggly that Sage let him down. With his leash on, he led them across the road and up the walk to the open front door. Trey wasn’t happy about this. He didn’t want to see anything else happen to Happy. The little dog could have died out on the streets. And where was his owner? Moving away without their dog?

  Trey was about to ring the buzzer when an older man with gray hair entered the foyer with a big box in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw them standing on the landing. “If you came to look at the house, it’s by appointment only.”

  Didn’t the man see the dog? Didn’t he care? Trey struggled to keep his temper in check. “We didn’t come to look at the house.”

  As though Sage could tell that Trey wasn’t at all pleased with any of this, she said, “We came because we...er...rather he—” she gestured to Trey “—found your dog.”

  “My dog? I don’t have one.”

  Sage bent over and scooped up Happy. “You mean, this isn’t your dog?”

  Happy licked her cheek and wagged his tail. Trey wondered what it was like to be that happy, even after the one person who was supposed to love and protect you disappears from your life. Trey was not the least bit happy.

  “That’s my mother’s dog.” The man set the box down and came closer. “I didn’t know what had happened to him. I thought the people who were supposed to be taking care of him for her had taken him home.”

  “No.” Trey wasn’t happy with the man’s lack of concern. “He’s been wandering the streets half-starved and injured.”

  The man’s hesitant gaze met his before it turned back to the dog. He reached out to pet Happy and a low growl filled the air. Both Trey and Sage turned surprised gazes at the dog. He seemed to like everyone except this man.

  “Is your mother home?” Sage asked.

  The man shook his head, making his comb-over slide down on his forehead. With a swipe of his hand, it moved back over the bald spot. “She passed on last week.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry.” Sage looked a bit awkward as though not sure what to say next.

  “Will you be taking care of the dog?” Trey asked, not sure the man would do any better than the dog-sitter who originally lost Happy.

  The man’s brows drew together. “I can’t. My apartment doesn’t allow pets. And...and as you can see, that dog has never liked me.”

  Trey trusted Happy’s judgment of people. After all, the dog was crazy about Sage. But how could he not be with the way she fussed over him?

  “Are you sure?” Sage asked. “He’s a really well-trained dog.”

  “Trust me. He wouldn’t be happy with me.”

  Trey didn’t need any reassurances from the man. It was obvious Happy didn’t belong with him. “We’re sorry for your loss. We’ll be going.”

  Trey placed a hand on Sage’s elbow and turned back toward the car.

  “What about the dog?” the man asked.

  “We’ll take care of him,” Sage replied with certainty. “Don’t worry. He’ll have a good home.”

  And with that they made their way back to the car.

  Once they were both inside and driving away, Trey glanced at Happy contentedly lying in Sage’s lap with his chin resting on her knee. “Did you really mean that? You know, about us taking care of Happy?”

  She shrugged. “It wasn’t like we could leave him with that man. Did you hear the way Happy growled at him?”

  “Yeah. He sure didn’t like the guy. Wonder what he did to the dog.”

  “I don’t want to know. I just want to make sure that Happy is safe.”

  “Should we take him to the shelter?”

  “We can’t do that,” she said quickly. “You know, because of his stitches. We need to keep an eye on him and make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

  Trey nodded as though he understood, but he didn’t. Not really. He was certain there were skilled people at the shelter that could care for Happy, but he didn’t say anything. It appeared Happy had won Sage’s heart.

  Sage had a way of casting a magical spell over the males in her orbit. If Trey wasn’t careful, he was going to forget about his real reason for working at QTR. And he just might give in to his desire to kiss her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  IT IS NO big deal. After all, it is only temporary.

  The excuses crowded into Sage’s mind as she made a spot for Happy on the couch in her office. It wasn’t like they could trust just anyone to make sure Happy didn’t chew his stitches. Thankfully he wouldn’t have them in very long. And hopefully there would be no need for the cone the vet had sent along with them—just in case.

  Happy put his head down between his paws and his eyes drifted closed. He’d had a big day and it was only lunchtime. Trey had volunteered to run downstairs to the restaurant and grab them some food. In this instance, she wouldn’t make a fuss over the restaurant’s exorbitant prices. That way they could have a working lunch and make up for some of the time they’d missed that morning as well as keep an eye on Happy.

  As it was, she still had big news to share with Trey. And this adventure with Happy had shown her a different side of him. She’d admired the way he’d not only taken in a stray dog but also cleaned him up, bought supplies and cared enough to risk bringing him to the office.

  Trey cared a lot more for Happy than he was willing to let on. She noticed how he asked the vet all sorts of questions. And then again when he grew protective when they attempted to take Happy home.

  As though sensing that she was thinking of him, Trey breezed through the doorway. He smiled at her. “I picked something a little different.”

  She made a point of having a salad every day for lunch. “What did you pick?”

  “Quit looking so worried. I think you’ll approve.” And then, as though he wasn’t so sure, he added, “And if you don’t, I’ll get you a chicken salad.”

  She smiled. If she ever thought of having a family, she would want someone like Trey. He was sweet and thoughtful but not afraid to push boundaries when the need arose. He definitely would make some woman a good husband. She could imagine him with a baby in his arms.

  She gasped. What in the world had gotten into her? He was her assistant. Not boyfriend material. No matter how attractive she might find him. She had to keep these wayward thoughts at bay. Maybe all the long lonely nights at the office were catching up with her.

  “What’s the matter?” Trey stared at her. The concern was written all over his face. “Is it Happy?”

  “No. He’s fine.” She swallowed down her discomfort. “Why do you think something is wrong?”

  “You gasped.”

  Oh, yes, that. Hmm... “I just remembered that I have something important to discuss with you and we’re running out of time.”

  He continued to stare at her as though not sure if he believed her or not. Even Happy had lifted his head and was staring at her. She was going to have to work harder at keeping her thoughts in line. And if she did have an errant thought, she would not—could not—react.

  “Are you going to serve up that mystery food? I’m starving.” She cleared off space on her desk so they could eat there.

  Trey quickly served up the food. When he lifted the lid on hers, he said, “It’s citrus grilled salmon with rice noodles and vegetables.”

  She was quite pleased with the selection. “But how did you know that I love salmon?”

  He retrieved his lunch from the bag. “Truth?”

&n
bsp; She nodded, wondering if Louise had been his source of information. If so, she was going to have to say something. She couldn’t have Louise going around sharing all her personal information—no matter how well intended.

  “I guessed.” He sent her a smile. She refused to acknowledge the way the twinkle in his eyes made her stomach dip.

  “Good guess.”

  “And how’s—” Trey nodded toward Happy “—he doing?”

  “You wouldn’t even know he didn’t belong here all along. He’s made himself right at home.”

  “You know the longer he’s here, the harder it’s going to be to give him up.”

  She didn’t want to think about parting with the dog. “How about we cross that bridge when we get to it?”

  Trey looked as though he were going to say something else, but then he nodded in agreement.

  After they were halfway through their meal, Sage glanced over the glass desktop at him. “Is your passport up to date?”

  His brows rose high on his forehead. “It is.”

  “Good. I have exciting news. We’re attending the Cannes Film Festival.”

  The lack of expression on his face surprised her. “And you’re looking for an escort?”

  He didn’t have any idea just how appealing that sounded to her. In fact, it surprised her quite a bit. She prided herself on being self-sufficient and not needing someone in her life. After her father’s funeral, she’d felt profoundly alone. She’d foolishly thought Elsa would feel the same way and that they could lean on each other. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

  Her stepmother had taught her that the only person Sage could count on was herself. Being reduced to Elsa’s maid after her father’s death had been jarring, but then to be kicked out of her childhood home on her eighteenth birthday drove home that lesson. Sage had never felt more alone—more betrayed.

  And it reminded her not to get too comfortable with Trey. They’d shared a moment of friendship today as they helped Happy, but it needed to stop.

  “Sage? Hey. Hello.” Trey waved his hand in front of her face. When she focused in on him, he asked, “Where did you go?”

  “Sorry. I just got lost in my thoughts.”

  “Not happy ones, I take it.”

  “Was it that obvious?” She really didn’t have a poker face.

  He nodded. “If you don’t want me to go to France with you, I’m fine with that.”

  “No, it’s not that. I was just thinking about my stepmother.”

  “Thinking about going to France with me makes you think of your stepmother? I’m confused.”

  Sage shook her head. “Don’t mind me. I guess I’m just tired. But in answer to your question, no, I don’t need an escort. I do, however, need an assistant to stay on top of things both here and there.”

  He hesitated.

  “Is that going to be a problem?”

  He shook his head. “I can handle it.”

  “Good. We need to find out which Hollywood stars plan to be in attendance and then we have to research what’s going on in their world that they might want to talk about—a new house, a vacation, an upcoming film project or a charity. Or whatever is of interest to them.”

  “So you want to provide a platform for the stars to share with the world something of their choice.”

  “Exactly. If the celebrity is excited about a subject, it will come across in the article and hopefully the readers will get excited, too.”

  “And you plan to do all these interviews at the festival?”

  She shook her head. “As nice as that would be, it’s not practical. We’re going to be there to generate connections and set up interviews for a later date.”

  He stared at her for a moment. “Is that how you’ve gotten all of those interviews that have changed the entire platform of the magazine?”

  “You read them?”

  He paused as though considering his answer. “After our interview, I wanted to make sure I was on top of things. So I read a bunch of back issues.”

  “Including the scuzzy ones that got the senior Rousseau in trouble?”

  He nodded. “What exactly happened there?”

  She knew some of it and had pieced together other parts, but she wasn’t in a position to reveal details. “It was the board’s decision to change the direction of the magazine.”

  He arched a dark brow as though hoping for more information.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I can only say so much.”

  “Fair enough.” He took another bite of food. A few moments later, he said, “And this trip, it’s important to you?”

  “It is.”

  He nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back to France.”

  “I take it you grew up there.”

  “I did, but then I moved away.”

  “You mean for work?”

  “Yeah. Something like that.”

  So she wasn’t the only one holding things back. The part that surprised her was that she wanted to know more about him. She wanted to know everything about him. Maybe this trip to a romantic, seaside town wasn’t such a good idea, after all. But it was too late to back out. She truly needed the help. And to tell him that he would no longer be accompanying her would only arouse his curiosity.

  * * *

  He was going home.

  Trey worked hard to mask an emotional response. He’d had the house closed up after his mother passed away. He’d moved his business to the States—San Francisco to be exact. But to go home again, it filled him with a rush of conflicting emotions.

  And when he did go back—when he faced those painful memories—he didn’t want an audience. He wanted to do it on his terms.

  “You don’t look happy about this opportunity.” Sage took a bite of her lunch.

  His gaze met her puzzled look. “It’s great.” He searched for a way out. After all, there were other employees who could accompany Sage. “When did you say we’d be leaving?”

  “I didn’t. We don’t have plane reservations yet. I was hoping you could work on it.”

  His thoughts immediately turned to the private jet he’d recently acquired. With it, there wouldn’t be any problems flying whenever they wanted to. But that was another part of himself that he couldn’t share.

  “I’ll work on it. What day would you prefer?”

  “The festival begins next Wednesday.” She glanced at her day planner. “I’d say Monday. Tuesday at the latest.”

  He made a note on his phone.

  Just then Happy woke up. He sat up on the end of the couch. He yawned and then shook his head.

  Sage smiled. “Looks like someone had a good nap.”

  Happy jumped down and with his tail wagging ran over to Trey.

  “Hey, boy.” He pet him. “Looks like you’re starting to feel better.” Trey lifted his gaze to meet Sage’s. “Thanks for letting him stay here with us.”

  “What’s the point of being the boss if you can’t bend the rules every now and then?” As though Happy sensed she was talking about him, he moved around the desk to visit her. “But of course when you’re all better, you’ll have to stay home.”

  Arf!

  Trey laughed. “I don’t think he agrees.”

  And then a thought came to him—a way to get out of traveling with his beautiful boss, who made him forget his mission and made him long to take their relationship to a much more personal level.

  Trey cleared his throat. “I really should stay here with Happy. With his condition—” which wasn’t that serious but it could have been “—Happy shouldn’t be left alone.”

  “Does someone need a babysitter?” A familiar voice came from the doorway.

  They both turned to the door to find Louise standing there with a stack of files in her arm and a smile on her face. Happy
ran over to her. His tail moved so fast that it was nothing more than a blur of motion. Louise knelt down and fussed over the dog. He stood up, pressed his paws to her knee and licked her cheek.

  “I think the answer to your problem just walked in the door.” Sage smiled at Happy’s antics.

  The dog sure had won over Sage. He hadn’t had as much luck with Sage. The woman was stubborn and resistant to any sort of help he might offer. Which just made the idea of them going on this trip together a very bad idea.

  “I’m sure Louise has other plans,” Trey said.

  “Plans for what?” Louise straightened and stepped farther into the room.

  Before Trey could say anything, Sage launched into an explanation about the trip. Instead of looking put out by the idea, Louise smiled. She liked the idea of dog-sitting?

  “I wouldn’t mind watching over the little fella,” Louise said as though she could read Trey’s thoughts. “Would you like that Happy?”

  Arf! Arf!

  Sage smiled. “Good. Problem solved. Thanks, Louise.”

  “Yes,” Trey said, still trying to accept the inevitable. “Thank you. If I can ever repay the favor just let me know.”

  There was an ominous twinkle in Louise’s eyes when she said, “I will.”

  He didn’t even want to consider what it might mean for him. Something told him that it wouldn’t be as simple as picking up coffee or donuts. No, Louise was a sharp lady. When she called in that favor, it would be something meaningful.

  “Before I go,” Louise said to Sage, “I was wondering if you had the profit and loss statements for the past five years?”

  Sage gave Louise a strange look. “Why would you want those? Isn’t human resources enough for you? You want to expand into accounting, too?”

  “Heavens, no. I ran into Ralph in the hall.”

  “Ralph, huh?” Sage had a funny tone in her voice and a goofy smile on her face.

  Trey had obviously missed something. But it was better that way. The more he got involved in their lives, the harder it’d be when it came time to close the magazine.

  “It’s not like you think.” Louise’s voice lacked its normal tone of conviction. “We’re friends, is all. I’ve been married already. And so has he.”