“You expected that, though.” Kate was bent over the baby, and Brody couldn’t see her face.
“I did. But it’s worse than we anticipated. It’ll bankrupt the company.”
She looked up at that. “Would that be a good thing? For you, I mean.”
“For Shetland Tech. Sure. Theoretically, losing a major competitor in the marketplace is good for Shetland.”
“So, are you happy?”
He sat down on the bed to be level with her profile. “I’m not happy at the prospect of Annabelle losing all her money.”
“It was Quentin’s money.”
“You can’t be happy at the thought of losing it all.”
She frowned. “I’m not my mother, Brody.”
“What the heck is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, I’m not looking for a big score. Getting Annabelle was never about the money.” With one hand on Annabelle’s stomach so the baby couldn’t roll over, Kate shook out the new diaper.
“Nobody said it was.”
“You just did.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You just tippy-toed up to telling me there wouldn’t be any money. Clearly, you thought I’d care.”
“Most people would care.” He was trying to be patient here.
“Well, I don’t.” She deftly swooped the diaper beneath Annabelle’s bottom.
“Okay. That’s good. You’re a better person than most.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And, well, this is going to seem rather anticlimactic then.”
She waited.
“It’s the second reason. Will and Kalvin—and I agree with them—figured out that if Shetland Tech buys Beast Blue, then we don’t need to untangle their entire year’s R&D. As a wholly owned company they—well, we—can use the stolen code and sell the products as they were designed.”
She lifted Annabelle from the bed and straightened up. Her gaze narrowed on him. “And what does that mean?”
“It means what it sounds like. Shetland Tech pays for Beast Blue—in other words Annabelle—instead of causing the company to go completely bankrupt. Quentin signed personal guarantees. If Beast Blue goes down, the mansion and everything else is gone.”
“But what does it mean for Shetland Tech?”
“That’s the beauty of it. It’s a win-win.”
“But more a win for Shetland Tech.”
“It was always going to be more of a win for Shetland Tech. We have the advantage of having not broken the law.”
Annabelle started to fuss, and Kate patted her back. “And you came up with the plan with my lawyer.”
“It was Kalvin’s idea, yes.”
“The lawyer you introduced me to.” She reached into the diaper bag and produced a bottle.
“Kate, what is wrong?”
“A lawyer from a firm that just happens to represent Shetland Tech?”
“Are you accusing me of something?”
Annabelle reached for the bottle and cried out.
“What are we doing here, Brody?”
He came to his feet. “I honestly haven’t the vaguest notion.”
She popped the bottle into Annabelle’s mouth. “If it’s all the same to you, Brody, I think I’ll hire my own lawyer from here on in.”
“What?”
“I want a lawyer that I know is taking care of Annabelle.”
“Are you saying Kalvin has a conflict of interest?”
Her gaze had gone hard. “I guess I am. This is all just a little too convenient. You and Annabelle’s lawyer suddenly discover it’s in her best interest to sell to you, ensuring Shetland Tech will have the market all to themselves and be wildly successful.”
“You don’t trust me.” That surprised him. In fact it hurt him more than it surprised him. He didn’t like the feeling.
“I did trust you. But Nadia had you pegged. I stood up for you. I figured any guy who’d stand in front of a bullet for me had to be honest.”
“I have been nothing but honest.” Even as he said the words, he knew they sounded ridiculous.
He’d lied to her from the moment he met her. But she’d lied to him, as well. And he thought they’d worked that out. He sure hadn’t lied to her since.
“Right.” She put Annabelle down in the crib, making sure she had a grip on the bottle. “And a rich royal from Scotland is falling for a public-school teacher who owns half a condo with a sky-high mortgage.”
“You think I’m a snob?” Hell, yes he was falling for her.
She started to get dressed. “Nadia said you were playing me, that you were sticking to me to get to Annabelle. I pretended it wasn’t true. I pretended that you hadn’t turned on a dime when you found out I wanted guardianship.”
“I turned on a dime because you needed my help.”
“And because you liked me so much.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “And you wanted to be with me. I hope the sex wasn’t too much trouble for you.”
“Kate, you’re losing your mind.”
“No, I’m opening my eyes.” She was fully dressed now, and she shoved her feet into her shoes.
“Are you leaving?” he asked. “Is that what you’re doing? You’re leaving?”
Brody’s phone rang.
“I’m going to find Annabelle a new lawyer,” she said.
“Find whatever lawyer you want.” He immediately realized that would be a good thing. It would prove he was being honest with her. “That’s the best thing you can do, Kate. They’ll tell you I’m offering you a lifeline. I’m doing it for Annabelle.”
He’d been doing it for Kate as well, but in this moment he really didn’t feel like helping her.
His phone rang again.
He reached for it and saw it was Blane.
Kate lifted Annabelle from the crib.
“I have to take this,” Brody said.
She paused in the doorway. “Don’t let us stop you.”
“Don’t go.”
“This was a mistake.”
“I’m on your side.”
“I don’t believe you.”
His phone rang a third time.
“Then go.” He tried not to feel bitter, but he failed. “Talk to a lawyer who’s never even heard my name before and see what he says. But when you come back, you better hope I’m still willing to buy the company.”
She turned and walked out.
Brody answered the call. “Yeah?”
“Brody?” Blane’s voice was rough.
Fear shot through Brody. “What’s wrong?”
Blane had a fit of ragged coughing. “You’d better come home. Hurry.”
Brody immediately headed for his suitcase. “Are you with a doctor?”
“They want to do surgery. Mother and Father are pretty upset.”
“What kind of surgery? Never mind. I’ll get the doctor’s number from Mother. I’m on my way. You do what they tell you. Save your strength.”
Brody threw his clothes into the suitcase. He shouldn’t have stayed here with Kate. It was selfish. He should have gone home. Even if Blane seemed temporarily better, he should have gone home to support his brother.
* * *
Kate had spent two hours in a lawyer’s office in Seattle that first day, tossing out all kinds of accusations about Brody, Shetland Technology and Kalvin. The lawyer had then spent at least that on the phone with Kalvin. They’d called in technical experts and financial experts, and Kate had paid him nearly a month’s salary.
Now, close to a week later, she’d been told, in essence, that she was a fool. Everything Brody had said to her was accurate and correct. Shetland Tech would be throwing Annabelle a lifeline by purchasing B
east Blue. Sure, it would work out okay for Brody and his family, but Shetland Tech was going to do well in any event.
For Annabelle, Beast Blue, and all of their employees, most of whom were completely innocent, Brody’s offer was the only way out.
Armed with enough information to make her feel wretched, she arrived home where Nadia was babysitting Annabelle.
“Well?” Nadia asked as soon as she walked in. “What did he say?”
Kate closed the door and leaned against it. “He said Annabelle should have accepted Brody’s offer. And I shouldn’t have doubted him.”
Nadia’s expression fell. “What do you mean?”
“Brody wasn’t trying to take advantage of the situation. He wasn’t after anything he couldn’t have gotten without ever saying a word to me, never mind saving my life and helping me with Annabelle.”
Nadia dropped into the nearest chair. “Oh, Kate.”
Kate dumped her purse on the floor and walked into the living room. Her legs were feeling wobbly.
“Is it my fault?” Nadia asked. “I feel like it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know him. I did. I knew him. I slept with him. He told me about his family, his brother.” She groaned and sat down on the sofa. “I should have trusted him.”
“He is royalty.” Nadia paused. “I’m just sayin’, the mathematical odds...”
“It wasn’t like he fell madly in love with me.” Kate only wished that could have happened. “He was attracted to me, and he was honest with me. And anything he said or did, when he held me and kissed me, it was because he wanted to, not because he was attempting to get at Annabelle.”
“Was it good?” Nadia asked. “The sex, the romance?”
“It was amazing.” Kate closed her eyes and remembered. “He was so, I don’t know, so everything. Sweet and funny, and wicked smart. He got my jokes. He made them better. He understood that I had to take care of Annabelle. He never questioned that. And he was good with her. He was honestly good with her.”
“Uh-oh,” Nadia said.
“What?” Could things get even worse?
“You fell in love with him.”
“No, I didn’t.”
That would be bad. That would be terrible. If Kate had fallen in love with Brody, she was going to have her heart broken. She refused to have her heart broken. Not on top of everything else. Not on top of losing Brody.
Losing Brody was the worst thing that had ever happened to her.
“Oh, no,” she moaned. Her hands started to tremble. “How could I have let this happen?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Do? There’s nothing I can do. Don’t you think I’ve done enough?”
“You could apologize.” Nadia’s suggestion was tentative.
“I should.” Kate didn’t disagree with that. “I owe it to him.”
“But?”
“I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can bring myself to talk to him.”
“An email?” Nadia suggested.
“That would be lame. Not to mention insulting. He was really angry that last day, Nad. And he had a right to be angry.”
Kate’s mind went back. “That last morning. He looked so good. He was so happy. We slept together. We woke up with Annabelle. We’d gone to the park the day before. And then we ordered room service for dinner. That way, Annabelle could play in her crib while we ate. It was like we were this happy little family.” She groaned and dropped her head into her hands.
“Uh, Kate?”
“What?”
“He would have gone back to Scotland.”
Kate spread her fingers and peeked out.
“Fight or no fight, he wasn’t staying in Seattle.”
Kate straightened. “I know that.”
“Do you? Because for a minute there it sounded like you were thinking happily ever after.”
Kate tried to make herself laugh. “I didn’t go that far over the edge.”
“Uh-oh,” Nadia said again.
“No,” Kate insisted. “I had my head on straight the whole time. I know his life is over there.” She stopped herself. What was she saying? Brody’s life in Scotland was far from the only thing keeping them from happily ever after.
“I’m a rational person,” Kate continued. “Even if his life wasn’t over there, I get that I’m indulging in this fantasy all by myself. It was never his fantasy. He liked me, sure. I get that. And he wasn’t conning me, which is noble. But he wasn’t falling in love with me. I know that for a fact.”
“Do you?” Nadia asked.
Fifteen
“Her lawyer called,” Kalvin told Brody over the phone from across the Atlantic.
“We knew he would,” Brody said.
It had taken a little longer than he’d hoped, but the lawyer had seen the value in Shetland Tech’s offer.
“What do you want to do about the deal?” Kalvin asked.
“Let it go through.”
“So, you’re going to forgive her?” Blane asked from where he reclined in a lounger in the Calder Castle garden. The day was warm, and Blane was recovering quickly from the surgery on his airway.
“You’re being way too generous,” Kalvin said. “As your legal counsel, I have to advise you—”
“Advise away,” Brody said. “But the deal stands.”
It wasn’t Annabelle’s fault that Kate had trust issues. And it wasn’t Annabelle’s fault that Brody let common sense rush out the door the minute he’d laid eyes on Kate.
Annabelle hadn’t chosen her parents. For that matter, she hadn’t chosen her headstrong auntie, either. She was stuck with what life had dealt her. And Brody wasn’t going to be the guy to take away her inheritance. He’d make sure both Annabelle and Kate could live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
“Are you making a bad deal?” Blane asked.
“I can email a scan of the paperwork,” Kalvin said. “You’ll need to get it notarized at your end.”
“As long as she’ll sign, too.”
“Oh, she’ll sign. I set that lawyer of hers straight on a few things.”
Brody chuckled. “You shouldn’t have such a thin skin.”
“He initially threatened to bring me up on charges with the bar.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know. And now he knows it, too.”
“And Kate knows it?”
“She sure does.”
Brody had half hoped for an apology from her. She’d made some wild accusations, and she’d been dead wrong about his motives. Now that she knew it for sure, you’d think the woman could pick up the phone and admit it.
She hadn’t.
And his only conclusion was that she didn’t want to speak to him. She was taking the money and putting the rest behind her. He didn’t know what all that intimacy and sex was about, but clearly it didn’t mean nearly as much to her as it had meant to him.
“It won’t bring her back to you,” Blane said.
Brody shot him a glare.
“Fax the paperwork,” he said to Kalvin.
“It’ll be there in the morning. Goodbye, sir.”
“Goodbye, Kalvin.”
“That’s what you really want,” Blane said.
“That’s not why I did it.” Brody didn’t bother denying that he’d wish Kate would call.
“By ‘did it’ you mean overpay for a company we don’t really need in the first place?”
“It’s going to make us a lot of money.” Brody wasn’t going to accept the premise that he’d overpaid. He’d paid well, but he hadn’t paid more than he expected to make on the deal.
“Since you saved us from ruin, I’m going t
o give you this one.”
“Thank you so much. Since I’m the guy running the business end of this family, I’ll do whatever I bloody well please.”
Blane chuckled. But then his chuckle turned into a cough.
Brody sat up straighter, regretting his outburst.
“I’m fine,” Blane wheezed.
“You sure?” Brody was poised to run for Blane’s nurse.
The coughing subsided. “I hate this.”
“I know.” Brody felt enormous sympathy for his brother.
The surgery had been a success, and a new medication had stabilized Blane’s lungs.
“You know, at this rate you’re going to be Earl,” Blane said, recovering his breath and sitting back.
“I have no intention of ever being Earl.”
“I may or may not outlive Father, but eventually, I’m going to die.”
“Eventually is a long, long time,” Brody said.
“I’m not getting married.”
“You can’t possibly know that.” Brody refused to let Blane give up on having a family.
He knew his brother wanted children. And Brody wanted that for him. He also wanted it to be Blane’s son to take over as Earl after Blane died as a very old man. And in the meantime, Brody wanted to live his own life.
“I’ll probably live for a while,” Blane said.
“You’ll live for a very long time. You have to, if only because I couldn’t stand all those ceremonial events. I’ve got businesses to run.”
“And women to chase.”
“I’m done with that for a while.” Brody couldn’t imagine who might follow Kate. He had no interest in anyone else, and he couldn’t see that changing in the short term.
“You need to get married,” Blane said. “This family needs a backup plan.”
“Stop that. I’m serious. I’ll get married. Eventually. But you need to go first.”
“Maybe.” Blane smiled smugly to himself. “Now tell me again about her purple hair.”
“How did Kate get back into this conversation?”
“We’re talking about you getting married.”
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