“It wasn’t that bad, because I was still in the parking lot,” she continued. “But we had to call the cops, and blah blah blah. No salad, and I’m late.” She stepped away from her mom and hugged her dad. “And my car needs to be fixed. There’s a huge dent in the fender. And.” She glared around at her brothers as if they’d hit her.
“That guy was a real jerk. Kept saying I backed out too fast.”
“Hey, maybe you did,” Liam said, and Mia silenced him with a glare.
“I didn’t hit you,” he said. “I’m Liam.”
“What was this guy’s name?” Phoenix asked.
“Declan Phelps,” she said with a frown. “He was all dressed in leather and these huge boots. He looked like an idiot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was high.”
“He’s not,” Karly said, and every eye turned to her, Sami’s included.
Sami squeezed Mia’s hand as she sidled up next to her. “How do you know, Karly?”
“Declan Phelps is a rockstar,” she said, swiping on her phone. “He’s been very public about his anti-drug stance.” She showed her screen around the room, as if Sami had time to read it. “He’s vocal against spousal abuse and is a member of BACA even though he doesn’t own a bike.”
“How do you know all this?” Mia stepped over to her and snatched the phone from their older sister’s hand.
“Valid question,” Sami said, eyeing Karly’s pregnant belly. “You don’t seem like the type to know everything about rockstars.”
“This one I do,” she said. “Right, honey?”
“We’re going to his concert next month,” her husband, Derrick, said. “She likes what he stands for.”
“Is rock music okay for a baby?” her mom asked, and Sami couldn’t hold back her giggle.
She stepped back over to Andy and whispered, “See? Totally normal.”
He looked like he’d been slapped. “Yeah.”
He continued to watch the back and forth between Karly, Sami’s mom, and Mia, who eventually handed the phone back with the words, “Well, don’t be too impressed. He wasn’t even nice to me.”
By the time she and Andy slipped out of the party, the games had been brought out and they’d played a few rounds of Yahtzee. She’d tried to nonverbally get him to leave, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.
“That was great,” he said as they drove back into town.
“You really think so?”
He took several moments to answer. “Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I haven’t done anything with a family in a long, long time.”
She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it to let him know he wasn’t alone. “You miss your mom?”
“Every day.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He met her eyes and said, “Thank you. Your family is great. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“Do you think any of them know about us?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. The only one we have to worry about is Mia.”
“Oh?”
“I told her about my crush on you at Christmastime.” She smiled as her phone chimed. “Check that. Ten bucks says it’s Mia, asking about you.”
She put both hands on the wheel as he picked up her phone. “It is Mia. She says, you brought your boss to the family party? What’s going on? Four question marks.”
Sami laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Told you.”
“What are you going to tell her?”
“That you’re not as much of a hermit as you used to be.” She grinned at him. “And you owe me ten dollars.”
He scoffed and set her phone in the cup holder between them. “Right. There is something I want to talk to you about, though.”
Sami sobered and glanced at him, the lonely stretch of highway between the orchards and town almost desolate. “About what?” It sounded serious. Something with business.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I’d like you to think about it too.”
“All right,” she said, used to Andy’s way of communication. He did value time to think things through. He also valued discussion of topics and looking at things from every side.
“You’ve been doing a lot for Tanner Global,” he said. “In the last couple of years, you’ve brought five new deals to the company. We’ve made over fifty million from those deals.”
“Are you serious?” she asked. “That much?”
“It’s a lot more than your annual salary, yes,” he said. “I’ve been thinking of offering you a partnership in the company.”
Sami gripped the wheel to keep the car moving straight. “A partnership?” She couldn’t do more than whisper. “Andy, really?”
“I want you to think about it,” he said. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today—the company wouldn’t be where it is—without you.” He looked at her, seriousness in his gray eyes but a smile on that strong mouth.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, but deep down, she already knew what she’d do if he really offered a partnership to her.
She’d take it.
But what if you break up? her mind whispered, and she realized now how complicated things got when she dated her boss.
She knew it, of course. She’d left her last job when the relationship had ended, and she couldn’t fathom doing that again. She loved Tanner Global Communications. Loved her office. Loved her work.
And she knew she’d love being a partner with Andy.
But did that mean she’d have to love Andy himself to keep everything she’d worked for over the past eight years?
September came and went, and as October dawned and the temperatures cooled off, Sami found another spot for a cell tower. “It’s perfect,” she told Andy while they met one Friday afternoon. “It’s in Hawaii, on the island of Getaway Bay. They’ve been growing at an astronomical rate, and their cell service isn’t as good as it used to be. Their towers are old, and we could get one in at this place called Lightning Point.”
She showed him the map, with the location pinpointed. “I’ve been in touch with the man who owns the land, and it’s in a tiny corner of the cattle ranch on the island.”
Andy picked up the folder she’d prepared. “There’s a cattle ranch in Hawaii?” He looked at her, that sense of adventure glowing in his eyes. “Why haven’t we been there?”
She shook her head and laughed. “We’ll go, just as soon as you sign off on this acquisition.” She held out a pen, but he ignored it. He leafed through the papers, with prices, locations, and the list of providers that with the highest likelihood of switching to their new, improved, state-of-the-art cell phone tower.
Then he picked up his own pen and signed the last page. “Get it going,” he said, leaning into his elbows on his side of the desk. “Have you thought more about what I said about a partnership?”
“Of course,” she said.
“You’ve never brought it up.” He glanced toward the open door between their offices. The door leading from his office to the hall was shut. “Here, or…anywhere else.”
Anywhere else could’ve been her house, where they’d spent lots of time together. Or the beach, where they walked in the evenings if it wasn’t too hot. Or the penthouse. They spent the most alone time there, as it was closest, and sometimes she just wanted to kiss Andy so badly, she could barely wait until the elevator doors closed before grabbing his collar and pulling him in.
“I wasn’t sure I was supposed to bring it up. I thought you’d offer when you were ready.”
“And if I did?”
“I’d accept it,” she said, straightening. “I love this company, and I love working here.” She cleared her throat, but the other I love you stayed way down deep in her stomach.
“I’ll meet with Reid and get the documents put together.”
“Just like that?” She could barely believe it. He’d said nothing for six weeks. How long would he have made her wait?
“Just
like that, Sami. I think you do great work here, and you’ve chased down obscure leads all year.”
She squealed and launched herself to her feet. “Thank you, Andy.” She threw her arms around him, making an awkward hug as he sat behind his desk. She cleared her throat again, stepped back, and straightened her blouse. “I mean, thank you, Mister Tanner. I look forward to the opportunity.”
She walked away from his desk, adding a little hop-step to her gait as she tossed a smile over her shoulder and went into her own office. She closed the door and leaned against it, pure joy flowing through her.
“You’re going to be a partner.” Another giggled wiggled out of her mouth, and she went to text Erin and then Mia.
Chapter Eleven
Andy had long suspected that his life could be more if he didn’t isolate himself so much. He experienced more joy and fulfillment over the next couple of weeks as his relationship with Sami deepened, as her partnership papers were finished and signed, as he spent more time with her family.
Yes, he still spent quite a bit of time in his penthouse, but he’d taken Rusty for a walk around downtown Forbidden Lake a couple of times, despite autumn’s attempts to derail his attempts to exercise the canine.
That had to stop when Mother Nature decided to play a mean trick and send snow on a Saturday afternoon in October. He watched it fall from his penthouse, the sight of it lovely—but he didn’t have to drive anywhere.
Only a few cars passed on the streets below, and he watched them, his mind going in lazy circles.
When he saw the same blue SUV make the same right turn and start around the park again, his interest stirred. Around it went, but it was too far for him to see who drove or how many people the vehicle carried.
The car circled the park again, and then pulled into a parking space across the street from his building. No one got out.
For some reason, Andy’s heartbeat accelerated, and he lifted his phone and took a picture with it. He tapped and zoomed in to see the license plate, but everything was a bit obscured with the snow. He did managed to see the plate originated in Illinois, and his first thought was Chicago.
His father had found him.
He spun away from the window and said, “Homebase, lower the blinds on the north wall.”
“Lowering the blinds on the north wall,” the cool, female voice repeated, and the blinds began to cover the windows where he stood. He hardly ever closed these blinds, his view of Forbidden Lake and the city that sat beside it one of his favorite things about his penthouse.
When Sami had learned about his smart home features, she’d turned on lights, music, and more, laughing every time it obeyed.
He wasn’t laughing now.
With one hand, he tapped on his mouse to wake his computer and with the other, he dialed Tony.
The call went to voicemail, which did not soothe Andy in the slightest. He pulled up the building cameras on one monitor and opened an Internet browser on the other. He may not be able to look up a license plate, but he knew people who could. Good people. A man he trusted in Chicago.
He found Ken’s name in his contacts and dialed him while he started an email to the main. “Ken,” he said when the former police detective answered his phone.
“Who is this?” Ken asked, coughing after the question.
Alarm pulled through Andy. He had so many thoughts battling for his attention. He needed to call Sami and tell her not to come for dinner. He needed to talk to Tony, stat. He needed to know who that SUV belonged to. He needed to watch the monitors and make sure no one entered his building today. The doctors and lawyers and other corporate workers usually didn’t work on the weekends, which made all foot traffic around his office building very obvious.
He glanced at the screen with all the cameras, but he couldn’t take everything in fast enough. “Ken, it’s Anderson Tanner.” He hoped the man would remember the name Andy had started using.
“I don’t know an Anderson Tanner.”
“Yes, you do,” he said, his voice on the outer edge of panic. He scanned the monitor again. No one was coming toward the building. “I helped you with your cell phone a few times. I need a favor from you now.”
In fact, Andy paid for Ken’s cell phone bill every month, and the older man said, “Ah, of course. Mister Tanner.”
“I’m emailing you something I need you to check for me. As soon as you can.”
“I’m retired.”
“You know people,” Andy said. “Please. It’s important. Call me back at this number when you have something.” He hung up without waiting for the retired detective to confirm. He hit send on the email as soon as the picture had attached to the email.
Spinning back to the wall of windows, he peered through two slats in the blinds to see the SUV was still there. He had no way of knowing if someone or multiple persons had gotten a out of the vehicle, but he did know they hadn’t crossed the street toward his building.
It was the wrong side of the building anyway, but he had cameras everywhere. He dialed Sami as he studied the feeds coming in. He’d seen enough dramas to know camera recordings could be duplicated, though he did wonder at the technology sometimes.
“Hey, there,” Sami said, a brightness to her voice that made him extra desperate to keep her away.
“Hey,” he said. “I don’t have much time. Where are you?”
“I’m still at home, making the cheesecake dessert I promised you. What’s wrong?”
He drew in a deep breath, realizing he’d already scared her. “Nothing,” he said, a falseness to his voice that even he heard. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to drive, that’s all, and I thought you were coming at four.”
“You said six.”
He heard the dubiousness in her voice. “Right.” He forced a chuckle out of his mouth. “So I guess there was plenty of time. I’m just standing here at my windows, and it’s snowing so hard. If you come, you’ll probably have to stay the night.”
And Sami wouldn’t do that.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “I just didn’t want you to be stuck here.”
“You’re not a great liar.”
Actually, he was. He’d kept everything about his past a secret from her and everyone else for over eight years. She’d been his personal assistant and best friend for almost a decade, and she’d had no idea about him.
Movement on one of the cameras caught his eye, and he nearly dropped the phone as he clicked on it to make the feed fill the whole screen. He was aware of Sami saying, “Andy?” in his ear, but he didn’t respond.
A man approached the corner of the building and turned as if he’d go toward the front door and come on inside.
Andy said, “I have to go, Sami. I’ll call you in a while, okay?”
“You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Give me five minutes. Nothing to worry about.” He swiped off the call and said, “Homebase, initiate lockdown.”
“I understand you want to initiate a lockdown. For the entire building or just the penthouse suite?”
“Homebase, initiate lockdown for the entire building.” He’d programmed his entire building to function like a panic room, hoping he’d never need it.
“Initiating lockdown for the entire building of Tanner Global Communications. Should I alert authorities?”
“Not yet,” he said, realizing he’d given her instructions for only a yes or a no. “No,” he said louder as the man continued toward the front door. He wore a hat, and Andy couldn’t see his face. “No, do not alert authorities.”
For all the computer knew, this was a drill.
“The outside perimeter doors are locked.”
“Continue updating me as each floor is secured.”
“The penthouse is locked down,” she said only a moment later, and he was glad his system worked. He could tell her to lockdown the penthouse and then the building. But if he did the building, the outside doo
rs were secured first and his floor second.
The stranger kept his chin down until he ducked into the doorway of the building. The camera Andy was watching lost him, and he quickly navigated back out to the screen with all the images on it.
“The first and second floors are locked down. All elevators are non-functional.”
Relief cascaded through him as he found the one right above the front door and double-clicked it. Even if this guy got inside, he’d have to climb twenty flights of steps to get to Andy.
The man glanced up for only a moment, and Andy’s breath caught in his throat.
Could that be his father?
The man was definitely older than Andy, with a thick goatee that he kept neatly trimmed. His father had never had facial hair that Andy remembered, but he’d left his old life behind nine years ago.
The image was black and white and not all that great what with the weather. The man looked away and dusted the snow off his shoulders as he looked out into the storm.
“Floors three through twelve are secure,” his Homebase app reported.
“Come on,” Andy said. “What are you doing?”
The man tucked his hands in his pockets, glanced behind him once more, and left the safety of the doorway. He went back the way he came, his head bent.
His phone rang, but he ignored the call from Sami. No sooner had it quieted than it started ringing again, this time a call from Ken.
“Hey,” Andy said, still watching the man walk down the sidewalk toward the corner. It was snowing and blowing so much that his previous footsteps couldn’t be seen in the video. “Find anything?”
“That’s a blue Ford Explorer, registered to a Daniel Donald Anderson from Hodgkins, Illinois.”
Andy almost dropped his phone. “Thank you,” he said, his voice hardly more than air.
He turned back to the windows and peeked through the blinds until he saw the man come around the building and get behind the wheel.
The wheel of a Ford Explorer registered to Andy.
Daniel Donald Anderson.
The Billionaire's Secret Flame Page 7