by Tom Grace
Nolan nodded, accepting the trust that Kelsey and her parents placed in him. He smiled at Kelsey. ‘Very well, my lady, your chariot awaits.’
Nolan carefully helped Kelsey to the door, which her father held open as they both passed through. Arm in arm with Nolan, she already seemed noticeably better. Only when they stopped beside the Viper’s passenger door did Kelsey look away from her date and notice the bright red car.
‘Nolan, where did you get this car?’
Nolan acted nonchalantly about the Viper. ‘It’s just a car, Kelsey, four wheels, an engine. Something to get you from point A to point B.’
‘At the speed of light, from the looks of it. It’s so cute.’ Kelsey gave Nolan a stern look; she wanted the truth and not one of his stories. ‘Is it your dad’s?’
‘No, it’s mine,’ he answered casually.
Kelsey studied him skeptically, but she sensed he was telling the truth.
‘Kelsey, it’s a long story, but I’ll tell you on the way.’
With one arm supported on Nolan’s shoulder, she lowered herself gingerly into the passenger seat. The supple black leather interior seemed to wrap around her like a cocoon. Once settled, Nolan closed her door and took his place on the driver’s side.
Nolan handed her a pair of Wayfarer sunglasses from the glove compartment and started up the Viper’s V-10 engine. The deep-throated growl made promises that only a car like this could deliver. Kelsey waved to her parents as they drove off down the street.
Nolan eased the gleaming red sports car into an open parking space along Main Street, in front of BD’s Mongolian Barbeque. Just as the car reached the curb, the owner of the restaurant, an old high school classmate of Kilkenny’s, appeared and opened the passenger door for Kelsey.
‘Hey, guys,’ the owner said, pleased to see his old friends. Kelsey accepted his offered arm and gingerly extracted herself from the Viper’s low-slung passenger seat. ‘I’ve got your table waiting.’
‘Thanks,Billy,’ Nolan replied as he followed the restaurateur and Kelsey inside.
The restaurant’s interior was decorated in what could only be described as ‘Ann Arbor eclectic,’ a mix of whatever struck the owner’s fancy. Large black umbrellas were suspended from the metal-pan ceiling and photographs of native Mongolians lined the walls.
Nolan stopped to study a picture of a young man in scuba gear floating beside a coral reef. The diver proudly displayed the restaurant’s T-shirt to a colorful school of fish.
‘Anyone you know?’ Kelsey asked as she glanced at the picture.
‘No, probably just some SEAL wanna-be.’
They were seated at a table for two near a window, and a waitress took their drink order. There was no dinner menu, the bill of fare being the guest’s choice from a varied offering of meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, sauces, and seasonings. In the center of the restaurant, a pair of chefs rapidly cooked several patrons’ concoctions in a haze of steam and smoke over a circular cast-steel grill. The effect was a lighthearted and casual dining atmosphere.
After chatting briefly with the owner, they made their way to the buffet and began designing their dinner.Nolan carried bowls for both Kelsey and himself, filling hers as directed while telling her of the afternoon’s events.
‘So, just as I drop my father off, he brings up the bounty again,’ Nolan explained as he scattered a few sliced mushrooms into their bowls.
Kelsey laughed lightly and pointed at the tofu. The Kilkenny-Newton grandchild bounty was a running joke for them both. ‘He’s just teasing you. He knows that you won’t marry until you find the right person.’
Nolan looked over his shoulder at her; a devilish spark lingered in her iridescent blue eyes. He smiled, picked up their bowls, and moved down to the seasonings. The same spark smoldered in his eyes, as well; the right person had been found.
‘So, Kelsey, how do you like it?’
She let the question hang for just a moment, then smiled and whispered in his ear, ‘Hot and spicy.’
Acknowledgements
While I may be the architect of this story, I would be remiss if I failed to recognize the contributions of those who helped along the way. I give my wholehearted thanks to:
Mel Parker and Larry Kirshbaum of Warner Books, who turned my avocation into my occupation.
Esther Margolis, a woman of charm, intelligence, and insight, who introduced me to New York and changed my world.
My wife, Kathy, and our children. Your incredible support throughout the creation of this book is what made it possible.
The Warner books crew, whose efforts on every aspect of this project are immeasurable.
Marcie Klaus-Gates, a tough literary critic, an enthusiastic audience, and a good friend.
Dr David H. Gorski, who helped immeasurably with all things medical.
Denise Landis, Deam Pode, and the staff of the UMMC survival Flight Program. Keep ‘em flying, guys.
The researchers of the University of Michigan’s Ultra-Fast Optics Laboratory. The future of computer technology will be born in places like this.
My father, Tom Grace, and my uncle, Don Saunders, who share with me the love of a good adventure.
SPYDER WEB
Tom Grace was born, raised, and still lives in Michigan. He studied architecture at the University of Michigan, where he developed his strict eye for detail. In just over twenty years of practice, Tom has worked on projects ranging from modest home renovations to major urban designs for Chicago and London. His superior knowledge of technology has found its way into his writing and has earned him tremendous acclaim as a result.
Tom credits his second career as a writer in equal parts to a voracious appetite for books, an overactive imagination, and a compulsive desire to set challenging long-term goals for himself.
Tom Grace lives with his wife, five children and a yellow Labrador. His interests are architecture and current affairs; he also enjoys scuba diving, martial arts and running marathons. To find out more about Tom go to www.tomgrace.net.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
By the same author:
The Secret Cardinal
Copyright
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
AVON
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
77-85 Fulham Palace Road,
London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published by Warner Books in 1998.
Copyright © 1998 The Kilkenny Group, LLC
Tom Grace asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
EPub Edition © SEPTEMBER 2009 ISBN: 978-0-007-34293-8
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
htt
p://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
By the same author
Copyright
About the Publisher