by Alina Jacobs
Grant felt his heart sing at the prospect of spending more one-on-one time with Kate.
“If it doesn’t work out, there’s always the foundation. I love your idea, by the way. It’s simple but popular. Who doesn’t love dogs and vets? I’m glad to see you embracing this new life, Grant. I’m really proud to call you my son.”
“Thank you,” Grant said. “That means a lot.”
After the last of the interviews was over, Grant was looking forward to getting out of the itchy wool uniform and going to bed, ideally with Kate, if he could talk her into it. But instead, they headed the opposite direction from home.
Nancy and Kate’s grandmother were hosting a party for him at Walter’s penthouse condo. Grant tried to look grateful when they stepped off the elevator and walked through the open door. He saw all the decorations and flowers and the caterers running around, trying to put the last few details in place.
“I know you’ve had a long day,” Nancy said sympathetically, “but this is a weeknight. People won’t stay too long.”
Grant nodded and resigned himself. He wasn’t allowed to walk and hold a plate or a cup while in his uniform, so he tried to ignore the hunger pangs while the food was passed around. He hoped they saved some for him.
He watched Kate move effortlessly through the room. His father had several higher-ups from Holbrook Enterprises present. Grant shook hands with them when he was introduced.
“I see you’ve turned over a new leaf,” a man said.
Grant didn’t recognize him.
“This is the VP of sales. Martin,” his father said, introducing him.
“I hear you’re going to be coming in to work with us,” Martin said as he took an appetizer from a server. Grant tried not to look so hungry.
“I’ll go through the hiring process, obviously,” Grant said. “I don’t want any handouts or special privileges.”
“Naturally,” Martin said, wiping his hands. “We can use someone like you. A big part of sales is confidence, which you seem to have plenty of.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
“This guy!” Martin said with a laugh, shaking Grant’s hand again and smiling for the photographer.
“And this is Randal.”
A surly-looking young man with slicked-back hair shook Grant’s hand.
“You’d be the same level,” Martin remarked. “Junior sales associate.”
Grant gave a slight nod.
“So the military, huh?” Randal said and sipped his drink. “I was thinking about joining, but then I went to Harvard instead.”
Randal reminded him of the surly younger Marines he had been tasked to keep track of. If he did end up working with him, Grant foresaw problems arising.
He didn’t want to worry about it now. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. He alternated between staring out the window at the view of the city lights and shaking hands with various important people that paraded through the penthouse.
When the last of the guests had trickled out, Grant leaned back against the nearest wall. Kate hurried up to him with a plate.
“You haven’t eaten anything all day!” she exclaimed, thrusting the food at him.
“I can’t. The uniform.”
“You can’t eat in uniform?” She sounded skeptical.
“I can’t eat and walk,” Grant explained.
“Then sit and eat.”
“I don’t want to spill on it.”
Kate huffed. “Then go change.”
“I’m tired.”
“Clearly,” she said and pushed him toward the stairs.
He went upstairs to the master bedroom and laboriously took off his uniform. Kate set the food down for him and helped him out of the layers of clothing. She ran her hands over his back and chest while he wolfed down the food. When he was done, he pulled her down beside him on the bed and kissed her softly. She seemed sad.
“Why can’t we be like this always?” he asked her, brushing the hair out of her face.
“I can’t, Grant.” She looked as if she was about to cry.
He kissed her and undid her dress.
“Stop,” Kate said softly, pushing him away.
“Do you really want me to stop?” he asked her.
She looked at him. He leaned over and kissed her again and unwrapped her from her dress. He felt himself grow hard at the slight noises she made, the hitch of her breath. He tried to be gentle. He wanted her to know how much he needed her and wanted her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he took his pleasure in her. He reveled in the tight heat of her. Being inside of Kate felt decadent. Everything about her was perfect, and he kissed her hard as he came.
Kate smiled up at him then kissed him tenderly. Grant rolled off of her and pulled her to his chest.
“Kate,” he said.
She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled at him.
“I love you.”
Her face fell, and she pushed away from him, gathered up her clothes, and left.
Chapter 37
Kate
Kate was shocked by Grant’s confession. He couldn’t love her.
Her phone buzzed. It was Alan, reminding her why she had decided to cut it off with Grant. Why was her life so complicated?
Grant didn’t mean it, did he? He was just with her for convenience. It must have been a mistake—the hormones or pheromones or something. Her phone buzzed again. She texted Alan.
I will get you the money. Be patient.
He texted her back.
I need you
Then he proceeded to list all the things he wanted to do to her. She felt sick and trapped. All she wanted to do was to take the phone to Grant. She knew he could easily deal with the problem.
“No,” she whispered to herself, “you’ll land him in serious trouble. Be strong. This is your problem. You caused it. You handle it.”
She couldn’t allow herself to drift off into fantasies about Grant solving her problems. She had events to prep for.
The next day was an early morning again. They were going to the Connecticut state capital. Grant was going to be recognized by the governor. He sat next to her in the car, yawning. He tried to make conversation with her, but she ignored him and concentrated on her tablet.
When they arrived in the sumptuous capital building, an older couple was in attendance, and the man shook Grant’s hand enthusiastically while the woman gave him a hug.
“We were right there,” she exclaimed. “You’re a hero.”
The governor of Connecticut came over and shook Grant’s hand, saying, “Thank you for saving my parents. I don’t know what I would have done.”
A photographer had them pose for pictures, then the governor made a speech. Kate let her thoughts drift off. She still didn’t have a solution for the Alan situation. She had money to pay him, but three thousand dollars every month was a lot. How long would it go on? Would she be paying him until she was as old as her grandmother? She snapped back to reality as the governor concluded his speech.
“This young man has a bright future ahead of him. I think we can rest easy, knowing Grant Holbrook is around.”
Everyone applauded, the lieutenant governor made a speech as well, then they presented Grant with a medal. Kate made sure his uniform was neat before he posed for more pictures.
Afterward, there was a small reception and more photos. Kate watched Grant move through the room. He seemed more confident and sure of himself in the upper-class environment. He was fitting right in. She watched as several young women she knew who were from good families came up to him, their parents introducing them. The handsome marine was going to make some lucky girl very happy.
And it’s not going to be you.
Kate wished she could avoid Grant and run off and hide. But they had to ride back to the Holbrook estate together. He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at her. Feeling anxious, Kate broke the silence.
“I’ve planned the garden party for the
week after next,” she told him. “Will that work with your schedule?”
He nodded.
Stefan was outside, talking with the gardener, when they arrived. Grant followed Kate into the study, where she set down his medallion.
“Kate,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her toward him.
“Stop it,” she said, batting his hands away. “We need to talk about your job application.”
He sat on the edge of the antique desk and looked at her attentively.
“You need to play up your experience and your connections in your application,” she told him.
“I don’t have any.”
“Just stretch the truth as far as it can go. They’re going to give you an interview, and unless you kill someone in the conference room, they’re probably going to give you the job. All you need to do is write something coherent.”
“I need you to help me. Come upstairs.”
His tone was coaxing, and she wanted to sink into bed with him and forget all of her problems. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
“I have to go,” she said, hurrying out of the room. His feelings for her couldn’t be real. But what if they were? It didn’t matter. She was digging herself deeper into a hole she had thought she already escaped. Alan was going to ruin her life. Her phone buzzed again.
“I’m going to lose my mind,” she muttered, reading the text Alan had written her.
I need that money now I can’t wait
Resisting the urge to throw the phone against a wall, she replied.
I can’t get away
The phone was silent for a moment, then it buzzed with Alan’s reply.
Make it happen
She had already gotten the cash out of her bank account. Three thousand dollars. She stuffed it into an envelope. Praying that no one saw her, she biked to the canal, where Alan was waiting for her.
“Next time, we will be meeting somewhere more private,” he said with a leer. She didn’t respond, just pulled out the envelope and handed it to him. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her toward him, crushing his mouth to hers. She struggled away, and he laughed at her.
“I need you, Kate. You ruined me for everyone else.”
“That’s your problem,” she spat at him.
“No, it’s your problem if you don’t cooperate. I see how Grant is the new rising star in this town. It would be such a shame if he came crashing back down to earth.”
Chapter 38
Grant
Grant changed then went into the upstairs study that Stefan had told him to use. He opened his new laptop and pulled up the application for the sales job.
He had told Kate he loved her. Why was she acting like a scared rabbit? Maybe she was worried he wasn’t serious about staying in New Cardiff. He looked down at the application. He had printed out the essay questions and a copy of the application form. It was very intense. Regardless of what Kate said and how he had told his father he was ready, he wasn’t sure he was qualified.
He looked Randal and Martin up on LinkedIn. Both had MBAs and Ivy League undergraduate degrees. They had done internships at companies Grant had never heard of, but when he Googled them, they sounded large and impressive.
He read the job description again—fifty million dollars in sales. That was a lot of money. You would think a junior sales associate wouldn’t be responsible for that much. What was the point of being junior? Did he really think he was cut out for this job? This life? Did he really want to do this? He thought about Kate. Yes, he did; he had to be near her. Grant had given enough of his life to the military, and he wanted something different.
He could go to college instead, he mused, Googling nearby schools. His father had said Harvard. Their website showed groups of very young—to his eyes—kids. They looked happy and well taken care of. He closed out of the tab. He couldn’t go to college. He was almost thirty. He had to make this sales job work somehow.
Grant started on the application. He filled out his work and education history, but he didn’t have anything to put in for college. He wondered if maybe that mattered, but there wasn’t anything to do about it then. Then he moved on to answering the short essay questions about why he wanted the position and what made a good junior sales associate. He wouldn’t be working in a team as he did in the military. It was all lone-wolf road-warrior type stuff. He groaned. Then he thought of Kate. If he could be successful at this and cement his position in his father’s world, maybe then she wouldn’t run from him.
After he was finished, he read the application through once more, uploaded his resume and cover letter, then hit Submit. He felt a little jittery after submitting it. He kept wanting to double-check it. He was sure it was riddled with typos. Maybe he should go with the original plan of working at the foundation. He shook his head. He had promised on live national TV that he was going to do some sort of dog-and-veteran charity thing. How was he going to manage that?
Gus stirred at his feet. Speaking of dogs. He took the corgi outside and then worked up the nerve to call his uncle Jack.
“Hello?” Jack did not sound particularly pleasant when he answered the phone. After his father told him that he had basically stolen Jack’s company out from under him, Grant wondered if Jack didn’t just hate him by proxy because he was his father’s son—and his mother’s. His mother had killed Jack’s nieces, the closest things to daughters Jack would ever have. Jack probably saw all the things he hated about Grant’s parents in him.
“Who am I speaking to?” Jack said.
“It’s Grant. Walter’s son?”
“Yes, I know who you are, Grant. What can I help you with?”
“I… um…” He could feel Jack’s annoyance through the phone. “I’m supposed to be starting some sort of initiative—”
“Yes, what you promised on the talk shows. I’m aware. I’ve started outlining a plan.”
“Oh, okay.” There was a long pause. Grant didn’t know what to say next.
“I’m working from New Cardiff. I didn’t go into the city today,” Jack told him. “We can meet if you’d like to go over it.”
“Great. That works.”
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Okay, that—” Jack had already hung up, and Grant was left talking to a dead connection.
“This is going to be bad, Gus,” he said to his dog.
Jack arrived an hour later on the dot. Stefan had set them up in a room he called the boardroom. There was a table, several large screens, and a whiteboard.
“A little history on the foundation,” Jack said, sitting down. “It was Nancy’s idea. She didn’t want Walter and me to burn money on planes and cars. She thought we needed to use the knowledge we had gained with Holbrook Enterprises to help make the world a better place. She is very involved in the foundation, from fundraising to setting the vision for the charitable activities.”
“What kind of work do you all do exactly?”
“Normally, we look at distribution and logistical systems and apply them to problems the private sector doesn’t want to solve—for example, bringing food, electricity, and shelter to people in disaster zones. While the veterans-and-strays thing you announced is a bit simplistic, everyone loves veterans and dogs, so it should be a fairly easy problem to solve.”
“It’s not that easy,” Grant protested.
Jack gave him a mocking smile. “It’s getting animals from a few select developed areas in the United States to other educated, literate people in the United States. Compare that to moving medical supplies after a devastating earthquake to isolated regions in Nepal that have never been mapped.”
“Yeah, I see your point,” Grant conceded.
“The fact that we can just drive the dogs makes this an easy problem.” Jack laid out some papers with diagrams.
“I’ve already got a team together building a database and a website. We’ll partner with the VA and with other organizations that serve veterans. I believe the team has already been in contac
t with the animal rescue groups around the various military bases in the US. The dogs in Hawaii will be a little trickier, but it won’t be too bad of a problem. The project is already funding itself. Several GoFundMe campaigns have already popped up, and people are dumping money in them. There’s going to be a surplus.”
“Sounds great!” Grant said. “So what should I be doing? I can call some of my buddies—”
“Not necessary,” Jack said. “You only have to be the face of the initiative. The work is already being done.”
“Oh,” Grant said. He had thought he would be more involved. Did Jack really think he was that incompetent? Jack had basically just done all the work.
“I know we had talked about you starting at the foundation then transitioning into Holbrook Enterprises,” Jack told him, “but your father has taken your idea of being a sales associate and run with it. He has grand visions of you being in charge of the sales strategy for the whole company.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be that good,” Grant admitted.
“Maybe, maybe not, but sales is hard work. You won’t have time for foundation particulars, only the most superficial of tasks,” Jack said, gathering up his things.
“Yeah, I have to win fifty million a year,” Grant said, rubbing his neck.
Jack smirked. “That’s nothing. That’s the test to make sure you have the connections you claim you have.”
“I don’t think I have them,” Grant said quietly.
Jack leveled his gaze at Grant.
“It’s sink or swim. You better make something happen.”
Chapter 39
Kate
Over the next few days, Kate had somewhat of a reprieve from Alan. She hoped the money would keep him away from her for at least a few weeks. She needed to be able to think. What was she going to do about him? Maybe she could give him enough money to go away for good.
She was so stressed. She had to book Grant appearances at various parties in his honor. Also, Walter was gearing up for a series of marathon work trips that she was trying to schedule meetings for. At least Alan couldn’t bother her if she was out of the country, but then she wouldn’t see Grant, either.