Hendrix nudged Kenzie. “Thanks. How am I supposed to top this?”
“Don’t worry,” Kenzie said, “Jean Paul Gaultier owes me a favor. He loves rockabilly and that man can design for the juicy girl like nobody’s business.”
Hendrix grinned. “Today you’re my favorite.”
“I know.” Kenzie bent over to fluff the train out a bit.
“You’re so pretty,” gushed Maya to Nina.
“Thank you,” Nina said, stooping to kiss Maya.
Kenzie helped Nina out of the dress and carefully draped it over a chair. Miss E., Hendrix, Maya and Grace drifted into the dining room where Lydia had set up the champagne brunch.
“What’s going on with you?” Nina said as she stepped into her jeans and pulled a bright red T-shirt over her head.
Kenzie replied. “We can talk later. This is your day.”
“We’ll talk now. You’ve been scattered and unfocused since you returned from San Francisco with Reed.” Nina stroked the gown, her eyes alight with pleasure.
“I’m fine. Sort of.”
“Define sort of,” Nina pressed.
“Reed and I were just supposed to have some fun. I bought a pirate wench outfit for him and seduced him wearing it. I never bought anything like that for Sam.” Sam would have been horrified if she’d tried to seduce him wearing a cheap pirate costume.
Sex with Reed was fun. She almost blushed at the memory of his face when she’d walked out of the bathroom dressed in her costume. Sam never lusted for her. Their relationship had been more of a business merger than one built out of love. She couldn’t help wondering why she’d invested so much time in him.
“Yeah, you and Sam were so perfect you were boring.”
“What do you mean?”
“Boring is boring. He was tab A in slot B. That works, but there’s no excitement. If the world ran on logic, Scott and I wouldn’t be together. Honestly, can you imagine me with some anal-retentive, left-brain dominant, uptight, macho...”
“Are you sure you love my brother?”
“I love all those things about him. We’re fire and water and make one hell of a soup. You and Reed complement each other. You bring a liveliness to his geekiness. And he grounds you.”
“When did you get so smart about men?”
“I’ve always been smart about men.”
“Carl. Remember Carl and your divorce?”
“Carl was a project,” Nina said. “Granted I thought he would be a lifetime project, but I miscalculated and that just made me a better, stronger woman who is perfect for your brother.”
Kenzie stared at her best friend, remembering some of the guys Nina had dated in college. She’d been in fix-it mode then, too. But when they broke up, the guys were always better. And she always managed to remain friends with them. Even Carl was still a good friend of Nina’s. But Sam hated Kenzie. At least she thought he hated her. She’d sent him several texts asking how he was and he hadn’t answered.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Kenzie finally said. “Reed confuses me.”
“When you figure it out, then do something. Right now, have fun. But don’t cut your nose off to spite your face.”
* * *
Kenzie wheeled the rack of discarded wedding gowns into the storeroom in the boutique; the casino purchased them outright and would sell them in the bridal salon Kenzie was starting. Miss E. wanted to convert the old amphitheater into a wedding chapel and a wedding boutique for potential brides. Kenzie knew that the certain type of bride who would want to get married at the Mariposa would want designer gowns that cost thousands of dollars. But then again, weddings were big business in Reno.
She flung a sheet over the rack even though each gown was draped in a plastic covering.
“Kenzie,” Bianca called out as she walked into the salesroom. “What gown did Miss Nina choose?”
“The Marchesa,” Kenzie said still surprised by Nina’s choice.
“I didn’t see that one coming,” Bianca said. “You had a visitor while you were gone.”
Kenzie straightened a display of Hermès scarves, refolding a couple and redraping one around the half mannequin in the center of the display sporting a Dana Buchman sweater.
“Who?”
“He didn’t say. I told him you’d be back around two.”
A customer entered the boutique and Bianca approached the woman ready to offer her services. Kenzie headed back to the cash-wrap counter to finish folding some sweaters. She was deep in thought about the spring line and making notes to herself when she sensed a presence.
Sam Bell stood in front of her. She blinked. “Sam?”
“Kenzie.” He leaned over to kiss her, but she backed away.
“What are you doing here? Why are you here?”
Sam was a tall, slim man with an impeccable eye for men’s fashion. His gray Gucci suit, with a teal shirt and tie, perfectly complimented his lean physique. His suit didn’t cost less than six thousand dollars. And he knew how good it made him look. His black hair was cut close to his skull and a tiny mustache decorated his upper lip. He was a handsome man and he knew it.
“You’re so amusing,” he said with a forced laugh. “I know how to use Google Earth.”
She wondered why he’d shown up in Reno with no warning. “What can I help you with?” Sam didn’t do anything without a reason.
“We’re old friends,” he said. “Don’t I get a hug, at least?”
“No.” She wasn’t at all pleased to see him. She’d finally managed to get over her disappointment and here he was again.
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Let’s get some coffee. I saw a cute little café around the corner from here.”
She caught Bianca’s gaze. “Ten minutes. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
She headed out of the store with Sam at her side. “You left your snow globe at my apartment. I thought I’d bring it to you.”
“You came three thousand miles to deliver a snow globe that you hate.” She studied him, wondering what had really brought him.
“Consider it a peace offering.”
They entered the café and found a booth. “I didn’t know we were at war.”
She sat down. The waitress hurried over and she ordered tea and Sam ordered coffee.
“Those pastries over there look edible. Should I get one?”
The way he spoke about the pastries set her back up. Hendrix was a genius and Kenzie loved everything she made. “You only eat organic food and I can guarantee you there’s nothing organic in that case. But if you want something I think the gluten-free muffins should work for you.”
“Then I’ll have one.”
When the waitress brought their drinks, Sam ordered a muffin and Kenzie ordered a brownie.
“Aren’t you worried about your weight?” Sam asked pointedly.
“Nope.” She refused to be intimidated. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“The extra weight does look good on you.” He waved his hand as though giving her permission to eat her brownie.
“Thanks,” she said. She hadn’t gained an ounce since she’d left New York. “Again, why are you here?” She cupped her chin in the palm of her hand waiting for him to get to the reason for his appearance.
“I took a tour of the casino and all the shops. I have to say I’m impressed with what you’ve done. Who knew a little backwater community like this would attract so many people with money to spend.”
Irritation grew. She clamped down on her tongue to keep from snarling at him. How dare he insult Reno? Some days New York smelled like a sewer. Reno never smelled bad. New York was crowded and noisy. Reno was spread out and spacious. She neve
r felt as if she didn’t have room to think.
“The men’s store is amazing,” Sam continued. “I almost bought that beautiful Burberry suit in the window.”
“I kept all of my contacts from Saks. Why are you so surprised?”
“Speaking of which...”
“And here’s the real reason you’re here.” She tried to wait patiently for him to get to the meat of the conversation, but Sam was not to be rushed.
He frowned slightly at her. “I know we parted badly.”
That was the understatement of the year. His angry voice still filled her mind. His complaints made her furious all over again. And telling her she was selfish had been the final insult.
He took her hand and held it. “You need to come back to New York. We need you. The store needs you. Our clients need you.”
Not want me back. But need me back. “What’s going on?”
“There’s anarchy in the buying department.”
“Go on,” she said, pulling her hand away. Something about his touch made her uneasy.
“We had to fire Anna.”
“The person you hired to replace me? Why? What happened?”
“I couldn’t work with her.”
“You championed her, campaigning to have her hired.”
“She didn’t work out. She’s not you.”
“Nobody is.” She smiled sweetly at him. Had he just figured this out? Considering the phone calls she’d been getting from some of her favorite designers, trouble had been brewing for some time.
The waitress brought Kenzie her brownie and Sam his gluten-free muffin. She bit into the brownie, the chocolate practically exploding on her tongue. Hendrix was a wizard with chocolate.
Sam neatly sliced the muffin and tentatively took a bite. He chewed cautiously and then smiled. “Delicious.”
“Hendrix is an amazing pastry chef.” She licked her fingers, eyes half-closed in satisfaction. Kenzie was so happy Donovan and Hendrix were getting married. She was going to have brownies like this for the rest of her life.
Sam took a sip of his coffee. “The reason I’m here is...I’ve been authorized to offer you anything you want to get you back to New York.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Anything?”
“Well, within reason.”
“Double my salary.”
“Done.” He grinned happily.
“Fifty-thousand-dollar clothing budget?”
“Done.”
“First-class air travel.”
“Done.”
“Two personal assistants of my own choosing.”
Sam grinned. “Done.”
“And they get their own clothing budget. I think ten thousand should do it for them.”
He hesitated, but then smiled. “Done.”
“Broadway tickets to theaters of my choice and a private box.”
“How many shows are we talking about?”
“At least six.”
“Four,” he said.
“I can go with four.”
“I will have Legal send you a contract by the end of business today.”
She stood up. “Don’t bother. I don’t want the job.”
His mouth fell open in astonishment. “But...but...”
“No.” She turned, waving at the waitress, and headed back to her store.
* * *
It took Sam ten minutes to get over his shock and track her down. He stood in front of her waiting while she finished ringing up a sale. She handed the package to the customer and then turned to him.
“What do you mean, no?”
“What part of the word no don’t you understand? I don’t want to work for them, and I don’t want to work with you.” She turned to a mannequin and neatly adjusted the drape of the skirt.
“Your grandmother would understand. She doesn’t need you.”
She frowned at him. “Maybe I need her.” Didn’t he understand she was building something for herself? If she went back to her old job, she’d be building something for other people.
“I can be what you need.” He sounded desperate.
“No, you can’t.” She wondered what his promise was to get her back. Even though she was really good at her job, she was just another cog in the big, corporate machine. “I may not have known this when I was with you, but I was just your accessory, a stepping-stone to helping you up the next rung in the corporate ladder.”
“Don’t you want to run things?” he asked curiously.
She gestured at the store. “I already do.” She made all the decisions on the running of the boutiques. “Why would I go back? I would be taking a step back instead of a step forward. Not only career-wise, but with my personal life.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you dating someone?”
“As if you weren’t five seconds after I moved out of your apartment.”
“If you’re talking about Denise, that’s over already.”
“Why? Wasn’t she being helpful enough in furthering your career?”
“That is mean and petty, Kenzie. You’re not mean and petty.”
“I moved on. You should, too. It builds character.”
“No one does this to me,” he moaned.
She waved her hand, tired of the conversation. “Already done.”
He grabbed her arm tightly and jerked her toward him. “I said no one does this to me.”
A hand shot out and grabbed Sam’s pinky, bending it back. “Let Kenzie go.” Reed’s voice was deep and menacing.
“Ow!” Sam let go of Kenzie and rubbed his hand.
Even though she knew Sam had a temper, he had never manhandled her before and she quivered with anger. “Get out, Sam.”
“But, Kenzie,” he whined.
“The lady said to leave,” Reed said quietly.
Sam turned and took a step. He glanced back at Kenzie. “This isn’t over.” Then he left.
* * *
Reed watched the man leave before turning back to Kenzie, working to control his fury that someone would attempt to hurt her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded rubbing her arm. “I’m a little in shock, but I’m fine.”
“Has this happened before?”
“No. Never.” She smiled. “Thank you for rescuing me, but in another half second my martial arts training would have kicked in and Sam would have been on the floor.”
“I have absolutely no doubt. Come on,” he said. “Your grandmother called a meeting and you didn’t answer your phone. So I came to collect you.” Sam! So that man was her infamous ex. He was surprised that Kenzie would choose someone so...so petty.
They walked out into the lobby and Reed saw her ex waiting for an elevator. A rush of anger returned. He wasn’t a violent man, but if that jerk looked even cross-eyed at Kenzie, Reed would beat him to a pulp and then turn him over to her brothers.
“What’s going on?” Kenzie asked as they pushed open the door that led to the offices and the meeting rooms behind the lobby.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what just happened?” he asked.
“Not now.” She walked down the long hallway to the conference room.
Miss E. sat at the head of the table with Jasper on her left. Scott prowled the room like a caged jaguar. Hunter poured coffee. He looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept for several nights. Donovan sat looking curious, a smudge of flour on his face and a bit of lipstick at the corner of his lips.
Jasper looked old. Even though he was only in his mid-seventies, he looked as though he’d aged a decade.
Kenzie sat down and Reed took the chair next to her.
Miss E. held up a hand. Scott and Hunter sat down.
“Jasper has some information,”
Miss E. said. Her voice sounded almost sad.
Miss E.’s eyes looked tired, too, and she kept glancing at Jasper with affection tinged with unhappiness.
Jasper clasped his hands in front of him. He glanced at Miss E. and she nodded.
“This isn’t easy,” Jasper started and stopped. He swallowed. “But I thought the name Preferred Investments sounded familiar, and it was, because...” He stopped and ran a hand over his face. “My daughter is the majority shareholder in Nevada Investment Reserves. There’s a connection.”
Everyone went quiet. Scott leaned toward his grandmother. “Tell me.”
Miss E. took a deep breath. “She’s the one, we think, who has been behind some of the problems we’ve been having.”
“You know, when you see lots of little things and they don’t mean anything,” Jasper said, “I started thinking about Louisa and the fact that she had possessions that cost way more than I could account for. I knew she was angry when I decided to put the casino up as the prize in the poker tournament, but I didn’t know how angry.”
Miss E. patted his hand. “I’m sorry, Jasper. I know this is hard.”
“How did you find out?” Scott said. “I’m still trying to trace all the transactions that went through Preferred Investments.”
“The name Preferred Investments sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I knew I’d seen the name somewhere. I started going through my files and I finally located it. Several years ago, Louisa said she was starting a company and was putting her legal affairs in order. She was doing her last will and testament and wanted to give me and her mother shared power of attorney in case something happened to her. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, though I was proud of her for getting the whole will and such done. Eventually she gave me a copy of her will and in it was a list of her investments. Preferred Investments was on that list.”
Scott nodded his head and Reed found himself mimicking Scott’s action.
“We need to talk to Louisa. Where is she?”
“She left on a cruise of the Caribbean last week and won’t be home until next Monday.”
“Does anybody know why?” Kenzie asked.
“I think that’s a question we need to ask her,” Scott replied.
Drawing Hearts Page 14