"No. It's Lilly." Lilly's quick heels tapped down the hall. She came around the corner, her face pale as talcum powder.
"What's wrong?"
"I need to talk to you," Lilly said, swallowing hard.
"About what?"
"About the future of Naturally Better Than Nature."
"What about it?" She'd never seen Lilly so nervous.
"I think we should leave Chase Beauty."
"What are you talking about?"
"I've been thinking of it for a while now. We could start our own company. Chase Beauty is changing. And, really, with the robbery and now the threat from L'Mage, we need to be somewhere more secure."
Hold it. Miranda froze. "What makes you think the threat came from L'Mage?" she asked Lilly slowly.
"From the mirror. Estelle told me what they wrote. In Candy-Apple Red, no less."
"How did Estelle know about the mirror? Or the lipstick color?"
"Didn't you tell her?"
"Of course not. I didn't tell anyone. Nick and I and the police were the only ones who actually saw the mirror. And the person who did it, of course."
"You talked to Charlie. Maybe he told her."
"What would Charlie know about lipstick colors?"
"I don't know." Lilly frowned, then shook her head. "But what I wanted to talk about is starting our own company. I've been looking at some possibilities. Mother Nature's Own, for example, would be ideal."
"This is crazy, Lilly. Why would I leave Chase Beauty?"
"Chase Beauty's changing. Some people at corporate don't have the same vision anymore," she said, her eyes bright, her voice sharp.
"What are you telling me?"
"That it's time to break out. Estelle's got some great marketing ideas. We could work through her salon. At Mother Nature's Own, you'd have a bigger facility."
"Lilly, what are you not telling me?"
Lilly just stared at her. The phone rang and Miranda grabbed it. It was one of the detectives on the case asking for Nick. She listened to what he told her, then hung up, her heart booming in her ears.
"They know who broke in here," she told Lilly. "A guy named Thad Tims. They think they're close to catching him. That must be where Nick is."
"Thad Tims? That's Estelle's nephew."
"Her nephew?"
"Oh, my God," Lilly said. "Estelle? How could she have anything to do with this? And why?"
"There's only one way to find out," Miranda said, grabbing her keys. "Let's go to the Nook. I need to make an appointment anyway."
Nick pushed past the secretary into Theo Chase's inner office.
"What are hell—?" Chase pushed out of his imposing executive chair.
"Where's Lilly?" Nick asked. "I want to talk to both of you."
"She just left. What is this about?"
"This is about Miranda and what you've done to her."
"What?"
"Come on, Chase. Don't play games. I know about you and Lilly."
"What is it you think you know?" Chase looked guilty as hell.
"You're sleeping with her, for one thing."
The guy's eyes flickered just enough for him to know he'd nailed him.
"To get to Miranda, right?"
Chase glared at him. "That's ridiculous. What's between Lilly and me is none of your business. And it has nothing to do with Miranda." He looked smug standing there in his hand-tailored pants, starched shirt and shoes so polished they looked shellacked, Nick wanted to mess him up.
"If it hurts Miranda it is my business. She's your sister, for God's sake. How could you do that to her knowing how she feels about mice?"
"What are you talking about? What mice?"
"Come on. You hired a punk to fill her bathroom with mice and write a threat on the mirror to scare her away from her cosmetics."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you do." Poor Miranda, surrounded by self-important jackasses like her brother, who wouldn't know real life unless he saw it in a Sharper Image catalog. "Cut the crap. I found a letter Lilly was writing you. She wanted to stop the scheme."
Chase sat down. "Leave Lilly out of this. I don't know anything about mice or threats to Miranda, but I don't need a stunt to stop Miranda's product line. It's already happening, though that's none of your business, either."
"What?"
"We're closing out Naturally Better Than Nature. Miranda doesn't know yet. But I'll tell her next week, after the board meeting."
Nick stared at the guy. Was he telling the truth? Were they eliminating Miranda's products? "What does your father think about that? He supports Miranda, he told me, and maybe you needed her to quit on her own. But Miranda doesn't quit. Ever. So you cooked up this stunt with her assistant."
"My father's living in the past, but he's a businessman, and he'll defer to the management team, who are with me."
The guy was so self-satisfied, talking about erasing Miranda's work as if it were nothing. Nick clenched and unclenched his fists, fighting the urge to knock this guy on his hand-tooled keister. "I know you're involved, Chase, and I'll prove it. We've got fingerprints on Tims. It's only a matter of time until we tie him to you."
"Tims?"
"Play innocent if you want, but if you care anything for your sister, you'd better come clean."
As Nick headed out the door, Chase called to him. "There's plenty of work for Miranda here. She'll be fine." When Nick turned to glare at him, he added, "Don't worry about her, Ryder."
"It's my job."
Chase gave him a steady look. "Come on. This is more than a job. You look like you want to shove me out a window."
"Good eye."
"Look, you may think you've got Miranda figured out, but don't count on it. What she really wants she's going to find closer to home."
"You don't know a thing about Miranda."
"I'm just telling you. For your own good."
You're not good enough for Miranda was his message. The guy was an arrogant prick. The truth was Theo Chase wasn't good enough for his sister.
Nick drove back to Miranda's apartment to confront Lilly with what he'd learned, but the whole way he kept thinking about what Chase had said. Was it true? Were they really closing out Miranda's products? Or was he bluffing? Nick could have gone in search of her father to find out, but he wanted to get to Lilly and back to Miranda.
If they truly were closing her down, even catching them at the formula thievery might not stop things. Miranda would be devastated. As foolish as it all seemed to him, she had her heart set on this.
There's plenty of work for her here. That's what Chase had said. But Chase Beauty's corporate offices were no place for Miranda. She'd be like a caged butterfly there. She didn't need that stuff—all that beauty nonsense. If only he could show her that. Maybe if he took her away from it for a while she'd see how goofy it all was.
Did he want that? To spend more time with her? Yes, he did. Chase had been right. Helping Miranda was personal. More than a job. Way more. Realizing that made him realize something else. He was in love with her. This wasn't how he'd felt about Debbie. This went deeper—reaching into every corner of him. As he'd listened to her brother dismiss her, he'd realized he'd do anything to help her—anything to put a smile on that face, a gleam in those green eyes.
Was she in love with him? Maybe. What should they do about it? He could stick around a while, until the cosmetics disaster sorted itself out. He could give her a shoulder to cry on while she decided what to do. But if her line was kaput, maybe when he did set sail, she'd come with him.
Maybe now, she'd want to quit, as he had. Why beat her head against a wall where she wasn't appreciated? Maybe last night, when she'd said she wanted to forget everything and sail away with him, she'd meant it—subconsciously. He'd seen from the first day he met her that she was a serious, solid person. Maybe, just as he'd realized what he wanted lying in that hospital bed, she'd begun to see what she wanted, too.
She'd love
the Sea of Cortes. And the seals. She'd see the joys of simple things there. He'd be there for her.
But did he really want her with him on his boat 24/7? She could be a pain in the ass, after all. But he loved her. And if she loved him, didn't that change everything?
The only thing he knew for sure was that she'd feel betrayed and miserable when she found out what her brother and Lilly had done to her. She'd need his help to get past it. He'd be there for her, no matter what it took.
And after that, they'd have to see.
* * *
12
« ^ »
When Nick entered the Palm View lobby, he saw that Charlie was in the beauty, salon talking with Estelle, so he headed upstairs before talking with him.
Miranda answered the door. Lilly stood right behind her.
"We've cracked the case, Nick," Miranda said excitedly. "We know who's been stealing from me."
"You do?" She didn't look upset and Lilly didn't even look worried.
"The police are on their way," Miranda said. "She's turning herself in."
"At least you're doing the right thing," he said to Lilly. "Your boyfriend's denying everything."
"My … what?" Lilly said, reddening.
"Why are you talking to Lilly?" Miranda said. She turned to her assistant. "What boyfriend?"
"You've got a lot of guts, lady," Nick continued, "taking advantage of a woman who's given you so much." Nick's chest ached for the woman he loved.
Miranda felt she'd been dropped into a movie where she didn't know the story line. Nick was looking at Lilly with raw hatred and accusation. And Lilly was white as a sheet with blotches of red.
"Nick, stop this," she said. "The police aren't coming for Lilly. They're coming for Estelle Moody, the beauty salon owner. She was scheming with Burroughs to scare me out of the building. She knew details from Lilly about the apartment and my formulas." She turned to Lilly, completely confused. "What boyfriend?"
"What did Theo promise you?" Nick demanded. "A big job? Money?"
"Theo?" Miranda looked at Lilly, who'd gone even more pale and blotchy. Something Nick was saying was true. "What is he talking about, Lilly?"
Lilly hung her head. "I've wanted to tell you so many times, but it got complicated, because of what has happened at Chase, and then the burglary…"
"I'm sorry, Miranda," Nick said, reaching for her. "Not everyone is as honest as you. Some people don't care about the things you care about."
Lilly's head snapped up and she glared at him. "Shut up. You don't know a thing about it. If you weren't so bullheaded you'd stop and listen to the truth." She turned to Miranda. "I've been seeing Theo."
"You have?"
"I know it's insane. We just … it happened suddenly." Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know how. I didn't mean for it to, but … it just did."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Miranda asked, her heart going out to the woman. Stern Lilly in love? And why her brother? Not the easiest person to love under any circumstances. She stepped closer to her.
Lilly raised tortured eyes. "It seems so stupid. It can't last. Your brother and I, we're worlds apart. It's hopeless."
"But if you love him," she said faintly, her head spinning with all she'd learned, "you can make it work."
"What about the letter?" Nick said to Lilly. "The one where you told Chase you wanted to stop."
Lilly looked shocked. "You looked through my things?" She turned to Miranda. "I didn't think we should see each other any more. Not after what he was about to do. I was trying to talk him out of it, but he's so stubborn. He wants Chase Beauty to diversify. Real estate. He wants to buy a chain of drugstores. Then I started thinking that maybe this would be a good time for you to make a break, so I was doing the research to make it easy. But then two days ago, he sprang it on the management team, and they agreed to his plan."
"What plan?"
"They're closing out Naturally Better Than Nature."
"They're what?" Ice raced through Miranda's bloodstream.
"No more new product lines."
"They're closing my line?" she said, sinking into a chair. "They can't. We need a new profit center."
"Not anymore. Not if Theo shifts the corporate mission."
Nick sat Miranda down and put his arm around her.
"But it will be okay, Miranda," Lilly said, sitting on her other side. She felt as if the two of them were tugging her in opposite directions. "Mother Nature's Own's profits are down. We could put up some capital, retool and turn things around."
"I can't believe it. You should have told me sooner. I'll talk to Theo. I should have known he'd be working an angle."
"Profits took a major hit because of the animal testing scandal. The managers are nervous. Theo meets with the board next week."
"It'll be all right, Miranda," Nick said, patting her arm as if she were a patient in a hospital he was shielding from the truth of her condition. "What I want to know is how you found Tims?" Nick demanded harshly of Lilly. "What's the connection?"
"Tims?" Miranda turned to him. "Tims is Estelle Moody's nephew, Nick. We've been trying to tell you that. You explain it, Lilly." Her head was swimming. She had to figure things out.
"Estelle found out that Burroughs wanted to sell the Palm View, but he needed Miranda to break her long-term lease. He promised Estelle her part of the proceeds if she could convince Miranda to leave."
"She wanted money?" Nick asked, sounding skeptical.
"To open a new salon," Lilly continued. "She hoped to entice Miranda to give her an exclusive on her products. She knew from me—I'm so sorry, Miranda—about the likelihood of Chase Beauty shutting her down, and she wanted to entice Miranda as a partner. I had no idea she'd do anything this crazy."
"It's okay," Miranda said to reassure her.
"And Tims?" Nick asked.
"He was out of jail, Estelle knew, so she hired him just to scare Miranda, make her feel unsafe in the apartment."
"Why break into the safe?"
"He's a thief." Lilly shrugged. "He couldn't resist."
Nick seemed to be sifting through the information, glaring at Lilly. Miranda couldn't believe he still suspected her.
"Go down to the beauty shop yourself," Lilly said to him. "Charlie's holding her until the police come."
"I'll do that," Nick said, standing. "Will you be okay, Miranda? I'll be right back."
"I'll be fine," she said hollowly.
"You can get past this, Miranda. I'll help you. When I get back we'll talk."
She stared at him empty eyed as he left the apartment.
"Wait here, Miranda," Lilly said. "I'll get my folder with the financial information on Mother Nature's Own."
Miranda looked around her beautiful apartment, her mind reeling. No competitor was after her formulas. There was no sabotage, except from a misguided beauty operator and a greedy landlord. Instead, her company was about to cut her loose.
No. She wouldn't let that happen.
Miranda grabbed the phone and ordered Theo's secretary to interrupt him from his meeting. The moment he answered, she said, "What the hell are you doing closing out my line?"
"I was going to talk to you about it next week, Miranda. We're moving in another direction."
"Another direction? What other direction? Good products at reasonable prices is the only direction."
"You're out of touch, Miranda. You're old-school. You and Dad—"
"What? Is this a 'Dad loves you better' thing?"
"Of course not. I have the welfare of the company squarely in my sights."
"You have your ego in your sights, Theo. You're my brother and I love you, but you never listen to me. I know you dismiss my work, but when you start messing up Chase Beauty you've gone too far."
"Calm down and we can discuss this rationally."
"Just because I'm angry doesn't mean I'm not rational."
"Miranda—"
"Don't use that 'there, there' tone with me, Theo. You have defin
itely underestimated me and I won't let Chase Beauty suffer because of your shortsightedness. I'll be there in a while."
She disconnected, gearing up for a fight. First, she'd talk to her father. She'd bring him her samples, she'd show him the spec sheets, stir up his passion. Then she'd hone in on the managers, one at a time, especially the more senior ones who remembered how Chase Beauty had gotten where it was. She'd include Theo, but she wouldn't count on him coming around.
She should have stayed closer to the action at Chase. She'd gotten so swept up in her creations she'd forgotten the necessary in-house selling that had to go on. It was her own fault. She should never have lost track of the big picture.
She called her father's office, insisted he make room for her in his schedule, and, with Lilly's help, gathered what she needed to bring.
Going down the elevator, she remembered Nick's words. When I get back we'll talk. What did he want to talk about? Was he in love with her? That would be glorious. But something kept her from celebrating. Something about his attitude, the tone he'd taken with Lilly, made her feel sick to her stomach. What did he want them to get past?
She headed into Estelle's Beauty Nook to tell Nick they'd have to talk after she got back from Chase Beauty. She found him in intense conversation with one of the detectives on the case, while the other took Estelle's statement. Harold Burroughs, red faced and sweating, was babbling at Charlie.
"Miranda," Nick said, his face lighting at the sight of her.
"Sorry to interrupt."
"No problem." He excused himself from the officer and limped with her to a quiet corner of the salon. "You were right," he said. "Looks like Lilly's innocent. And your brother's only guilty of being an ass."
There was that tone again—harsh and judgmental. Her stomach knotted. "I just wanted to tell you we'll have to talk after I get back."
"Where are you going?"
"I've got to meet with my father."
"Why?"
"To straighten this out, prepare something for the board, force Theo to reconsider this strategy."
"Are you sure that's what you want? I mean, I've been thinking about us. And now that things are different for you—if they're closing out your line—maybe it's time for you to rethink things. Do something different with your life."
LIPSTICK ON HIS COLLAR Page 15