by Nancy Bush
“Since you seem incapable of getting your vocal cords in gear again and explaining what’s so hilarious about a San Francisco firm buying us out, I’ll—”
“Don, Nick’s from the Seattle area. Piper Point, to be exact. He and I went to school together.”
Rory was certain she’d never seen a blanker look in her life than the one on Don Tisdale’s face. “My God!” he blurted. “Why am I talking to you? You’re going to make out like a bandit!”
“I have no idea what Nick is like as a boss, but I guarantee his success has been because he’s hired good people and made wise decisions. I’m not going to make out like a bandit. Everyone here will be judged on merit, believe me.”
Too late, she realized she’d inadvertently hit a sore spot with Don. “That Marsden fiasco is going to be thrown in my face again,” he muttered furiously. “And it wasn’t even my fault.”
Don had talked one of Jacobson & Kern’s clients, John Marsden, into investing in a building renovation project on the outskirts of Seattle just before the economic downturn. That part of the city hadn’t taken off as Don had predicted and now the building was still nearly empty. Marsden had lost a bundle. Ten months ago Marsden had finally moved his Jacobson & Kern business investments to another Seattle firm, and though Jacobson & Kern had handled only a small portion of the man’s vast wealth, it was still a deadly blow to both the company and Don Tisdale.
And despite Don’s protests, it was his fault. Rory had even tried to talk him out of the investment at the time.
She was smart enough not to point that out.
“Well, I’m not going to go down without a fight,” Don muttered, jumping to his feet and smoothing his hair. “If Nick Shard tries to let me go, he’ll be facing a lawsuit. See you at the meeting. It ought to be fun.”
He stalked out of her office, puffed up with injustice. Through new eyes, Rory looked down at the note she’d written. Return Nick Shard’s call… if you have the nerve.
If you have the nerve. And now he was going to be her boss? She wasn’t certain how to feel. What was Nick thinking of, buying a Seattle firm? If the papers had been signed last night, that must mean he was in the city. Yet all he had done was leave a voicemail at her office. She’d been home all evening and still, he hadn’t rung to deliver the news personally.
“I suppose I’m lucky he even knew I worked here,” she said aloud to the empty room. Glancing once again at her watch, she realized the meeting was in less than ten minutes.
Would Nick be there? she wondered nervously.
Insanity. That’s what it was. Pure insanity.
Nick sat at the large, round conference table in the Jacobsen & Kern boardroom. He even liked the fact that the table was round. Straight out of Camelot. The whole thing was perfect. And best of all, Rory Camden was one of Jacobson & Kern’s sterling employees.
Rory. He couldn’t think of her without smiling. What was she going to say when she found out? Plenty, he thought with a grin.
In front of him were the contracts he’d signed, along with Paul Kern and Charles Jacobson. He’d never seriously believed they would sell to him. Sure, he was a Washington boy, but he’d defected to San Francisco. A serious charge. When he’d told them he was moving back, that he’d already purchased the condominium on Lake Washington, then Charles Jacobson had pulled an ancient pen from his breast pocket and signed his name to the bottom of the contract without another word. Paul Kern had followed suit. And in a kind of delayed shock, Nicholas Shard became sole owner of the prestigious investment firm.
He would have to sell his San Francisco firm to make the deal, but he felt little regret. The decision to move to California had been made right after the divorce, when he wasn’t thinking very soundly, when he was running away. He’d only wanted to escape. But he’d wanted to come back for a long, long time, and now, to be the owner of Jacobson & Kern… Why, even his own father with his grandiose ideas and expectations wouldn’t have expected his son to succeed so well.
Nick’s smile faltered as he was attacked by poignant memories. If only his father had lived to see this day. Recurring heart problems had finally taken his life. And his mother’s health had deteriorated so swiftly after his father’s death, Nick could hardly credit it. She was not the same woman she’d been by any stretch of the imagination, and it felt as if he’d lost them both. He’d still been married then, precariously, but things with Jenny had been on a rapid downhill slide. Jenny had not understood his utter grief over his father’s passing; she’d never had that kind of relationship with either of her parents.
Rory had called to offer condolences and hearing her voice had nearly been Nick’s undoing, though he’d carefully kept the worst of his grief from showing. Given half a chance, he would fall into Rory’s arms and walk away from his marriage. She understood him what he was going through. Jenny didn’t. But then Nick made the unforgivable mistake of telling Jenny he’d talked to Rory and a fight began between them that ended with Jenny accusing him of being in love with Rory and Nick responding with harsh words about their relationship, how it wasn’t working out, how cracks were showing in the foundation, how it seemed like maybe the wrong choice had been made when they decided to marry.
Well… that had gone over like the proverbial lead balloon.
Jenny had walked out, tears standing in her eyes. Nick had damn near run to Rory right then, but, of course, Jenny had strained that friendship too. It was Jenny to whom he should turn, he knew, but he couldn’t make himself. He apologized later, for hurting her, but it was too little too late, and honestly he hadn’t really cared all that much. He’d made a mistake with Jenny. She wasn’t who he thought she was.
Nick slid paperclips from the contract and absently began pulling it apart. Jenny wasn’t Rory, and though he’d known that at the time and accepted it, he hadn’t really known Jenny. She’d managed to cover up the worse of character traits before they were married, or maybe he’d just refused to see them, but then later, when he did know her better, he was shocked and appalled at the extent of her narcissism. Their marriage ran along its rocky course until everything fell apart after his father died and he realized Jenny just didn’t have the depth of feeling he needed in another person.
Just before his divorce was finalized he’d called Rory. “I’m getting divorced,” he told her baldly on the phone.
After a sharp intake of breath Rory answered, “Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
“How about, ‘I told you so.’”
There was a long hesitation, then she said lightly, “I was thinking more like, ‘I’m sorry. You okay?’, but I could go with ‘I told you so’.”
He’d been undone by her candor. If he could’ve, he would’ve reached right through the phone and kissed her. “You never said it at the wedding, but you were thinking it.”
“There’s no accounting for people’s choices,” she said.
“Jenny was a bad one, huh?”
“She was your choice, that’s all,” she sidestepped. “Don’t make this about me. You married her. She was your wife. I’m going to leave it at that.”
“You’ve managed to stay away from that mistake.”
“Marriage? More like it’s managed to stay away from me.” As if hearing herself, she added quickly, “Not that I’m looking for it. And hey, don’t worry. You’ll get over it. My father did.”
Was there bitter irony in her words? Nick had never been quite sure. He knew she’d suffered during the time of her parents’ divorce, but she’d never said exactly what happened. Obviously she blamed her father. Well, why not? The guy had remarried almost immediately.
Nick didn’t recall the rest of the conversation. It was good to know that Rory was still there, still irreverent and still sane. She’d emailed him a couple of times after that, but he’d been too mired in the emotional toll from his pending divorce to reply.
Nick grimaced. No, that wasn’t the truth. The truth was he hadn’t known what to say to Rory after t
hat. In a strange way, he’d divorced her as well as Jenny. All he’d wanted was out. Out of Seattle and out of his marriage. He’d seen Rory one other time when he’d been on his way to see her and she suddenly walked out of the building with a guy. They were heading to lunch, he’d realized, and he’d suddenly rethought just dropping in to see her. He didn’t know what their relationship was but instead of interrupting her lunch plans Nick had just walked away. Since then he’d stayed in San Francisco. He’d forfeited Rory’s friendship and that was his one regret. But now he had a chance to put that right.
A soft knock sounded on the boardroom door. “It’s open,” he called.
The door widened and Rory Camden stepped inside the room.
She stared an absolute disbelief at the familiar figure lounging in one of the squashy leather boardroom chairs. Sure, she’d expected to find him here; Mr. Kern had said he was when she checked with him. But even so, she was shocked right down to her toes to see Nick in the flesh again.
“Nicholas Shard,” Rory said in a strange voice.
“Your powers of observation are still keen, I see,” he said.
His long legs were stretched indolently in front of him and crossed at the ankles, and his hands were clasped behind his head. He wore the pleased expression of a sated jungle cat.
Rory folded her arms across her chest. “I haven’t seen you for years, and you just up and buy the company I work for?”
“How else was I supposed to get your cell phone number?”
Rory shook her head, momentarily at a loss. She’d forgotten how good looking Nick was. His hair was lush and thick and black. His jaw was strong and determined, and his eyes, his best feature, were an interesting bluish gray and still seemed filled with humor. Pulling out her cell phone, she said, “What’s your cell number?”
“I—” He cut himself off and told her and she plugged it into her phone. She said, “I’m sending you a text right now.”
Nick’s gaze turned to his cell phone which lay on his desk. A moment later it buzzed at him, and he picked it up. “Welcome aboard,” he read aloud.
“Now you have my number.”
His gaze met hers again. Could he see her inner turmoil? She sure as hell hoped not.
“You’re not sure this is a good idea,” he said, his mouth twisting in that amused way that was uniquely Nick.
“I’ve been pretty happy here at Jacobson & Kern, but working for you is the great unknown.”
One brow lifted. “I’m not a slave driver.”
“Yeah? That’s what they all say. I’m just not sure I want to work for my ex-best friend.”
“Ex?” He looked surprised.
“You could’ve been off the planet for the last six or so years, for all I knew.”
“The phone works both ways.”
“I emailed last.”
He laughed. “Is this a contest? Okay, I lose. Feel better?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
Nick suddenly got to his feet. “God, it’s good to see you again.” He came around the desk and stopped right in front of her, smiling down into her upturned face. Rory blinked, her pulse jumping erratically.
“It’s good to see you, too.”
“You know, you were one of the biggest factors in my decision to buy Jacobson & Kern. Without you, I don’t think the deal would’ve gone through.”
“Give me a break.” Rory took two steps backward, needing a bit of space.
“It’s true.”
“It’s a blatant lie. You’ll never convince me that I had anything to do with it.”
“Why not?”
“Because Nick Shard is a shrewd businessman,” she said, drawing a frown from him at the compliment. “A long-term friendship would never enter into any decision you would make for Shard Limited.”
“Rory, you wound me. I’d do anything for you.”
“Yeah, except email me.” She laughed and the sound reverberated throughout the boardroom.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m a shit.”
“Yeah, you are.”
They grinned at each other, and Rory realized how much she’d missed him. Missed the lively bantering, the appreciation of each other’s wit. She hadn’t realized how empty she’d felt until just this moment. Nick might have his faults, but he was fair and intelligent, and a whole lot of fun.
He’d flung his gray sports coat carelessly across the back of the chair, loosened his tie and undone the top button of his shirt. His black hair shone with vitality beneath the muted lights, his skin a rich California tan. He looked the epitome of the successful male.
“You know something?” she said, pretending to give him the once over. “You’ve aged well.” So well, in fact, that she had to drag her gaze from his strong masculine appearance. Careful, Rory.
“So have you,” he remarked appreciatively.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be working for you.”
“Closer than you know,” he murmured.
Rory’s moment of pleasure vanished. “Okay, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve got a slight problem I want you to handle for me. A friend of mine’s account. He had some problems with Jacobson & Kern about a year ago, but he’s willing to come back. However, we’ll really need to work together on it.”
Rory said slowly, “You’re talking about the Marsden account.”
“You know John?” he asked in surprise.
“Only of him. He was Don—” Rory cut herself off. If Nick didn’t yet know Don Tisdale was the man who’d angered Marsden, she didn’t want to be accused of pointing the finger.
“I know all about Don Tisdale,” Nick assured her dryly, reading her mind. “John was rather uncomplimentary about him.”
“What are you going to do?” Rory asked, unable to stop herself. She might not like Don personally, and he’d certainly messed up with Marsden, but overall he wasn’t a bad investment broker. Other clients trusted him implicitly.
Nick regarded her thoughtfully. “I don’t know yet. Time will tell.”
The sound of the door caused Rory to jump and Nick to glance past her. Charles Jacobson and Paul Kern entered the room followed by Jacobson & Kern’s eight other investment administrators, including Don Tisdale.
“Oh, Rory. Good. You’re already here,” Jacobson said in his watery voice. “Don went looking for you.”
Don, subdued and resentful, met Rory’s gaze coolly. Clearly he felt she’d been getting in good with the boss. Rory tightened her lips. Don was his own worst enemy. He liked blaming others for his own mistakes.
Nick’s eyes followed Don as he pulled back a chair near the one Sam Wright was holding for Kern. The elderly gentleman laid down his cane and subsided into the chair with a grateful sigh.
Rory quickly took the chair across from Don. The stare he leveled at her was full of accusation. She narrowed her lashes and glared back at him in warning. Silently, she told him to stop blaming her for Nick’s buyout. His angry gaze said he wasn’t listening.
Nick watched this exchange with a growing feeling of uneasiness and resentment. He didn’t like Don Tisdale already and the guy was doing nothing to endear himself to him.
He moved to take the seat at Jacobson’s right, looking at the already assembled employees. “By now you’ve probably all heard that Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Kern have sold the company to me. Let me assure you, I want this transition to be smooth and painless.” He smiled to ease the tension that had gathered. “This is a great company. But it’s only as good as the people who work for it. I’m not going to forget that… .”
When he’d purchased his San Francisco investment firm, Nick had been forced to fight for respect. Like Jacobson & Kern, it had a reputation in the community that went back nearly one hundred years. He was considered the upstart. The “boy from up north.” He’d had one hell of a time convincing the employees he planned to play fair.
The employees at Jacobson & Kern were looking at him as if he’d some
how robbed the company. His voice echoed even though the room wasn’t overly huge, making him sound like some prophet of doom. So much for the “state-of-the-art acoustic system” Mr. Kern had bragged about. This wasn’t quite the effect Nick had wanted.
In truth, Nick liked things simple and small. The Jacobson & Kern offices were almost too resplendent for him. Too much ultra-thick carpet, wallpaper, gilded moldings, still life paintings. Too much fluff. Nick had an aversion to fixed overhead. Buy another chair and rent another room and he broke out in hives. In the investment business, prudence and money management was foremost. How could you expect people to believe in you, if you spent money like water with no eye to the future?
Still, he’d learned his clients didn’t expect the same frugality from him personally. In fact, they wanted to be able to see that he was making money. If Nick wore expensive suits and Italian shoes, it somehow proved he was a success. Why, he wasn’t sure. It was a cockeyed approach that made little sense, but Nick had found that anxious investors sometimes measured success by how a man dressed.
Don Tisdale was still staring at Rory. It annoyed Nick. There wasn’t something going on between them, was there? Rory looked as cool as a cucumber. Her hair fell to her shoulders, thick with a hint of curl, sable brown and streaked with gold. Her eyes were wide and an intense shade of cerulean blue. He’d always found her attractive. Not as classically beautiful as Jenny, maybe, but striking and with the strength of character he was drawn to. In a simple, loose white silk blouse and a charcoal gray suit, she looked remote and in control—just like always. But the clothes couldn’t disguise her femininity. Her breasts were soft beneath the silk, her waist tiny. When she’d walked to her seat he couldn’t help watching the movement of her hips beneath the smooth-fitting skirt.
There was something incredibly sensual about Rory that time had only magnified. Nick, who’d been too susceptible to her at seventeen, and who’d then denied the attraction at twenty-one, realized he suffered unresolved feelings for his best friend at thirty-two. Incredible. Here he stood, soothing the anxious Jacobson & Kern employees, and yet his mind was on Rory.