by Josie Brown
Miffed, Kimberley retorted, “I’m not a liar! Trust me, he collected photos on…well, on a lot of us.”
“Including Kelly?” Bettina asked sharply.
“Why do you ask?” Kimberley wondered warily.
“Because, somehow, that bitch knows about the files in the statue.”
The color in Kimberley’s face deepened to a color similar to her hair.
“I knew it,” Bettina growled. “You told her!”
“And what if I did?” Kimberley retorted.
“You imbecile! If she gets ahold of that statue, you’ll never be free of her!”
At that realization, Kimberley’s face went from red to a ghostly white.
“You think you’re smart enough to play both ends against the middle, eh? How do I know you won’t be stupid enough to give her the cell phone too?” Bettina slammed Kimberley against the shower door. Unable to detect a bulge through the catsuit, a thought came to her. Shuddering, Bettina murmured, “Oh, my God—you’ve put it where ‘the sun don’t shine,’ haven’t you?” She shuddered. “How disgusting! I pray it doesn’t ring. It’s not supposed to take the place of your vibrator, you know—”
There was a hard rap on the door. “Bettina? Seriously, we need to talk.”
Daniel.
Kimberley threw the door wide open. As she scurried past Daniel, she smirked, “Have fun, you two!”
Daniel frowned. When he was assured she was further down the hall, he asked, “Why would you ever assume that these women are your friends?”
“I don’t. Believe me,” Bettina assured him.
He looked her in the eye. “In other words, you’re ready to talk to me? No more dodges?”
She crossed her heart. “But whatever you say, I don’t want to hear it here.”
He nodded. “We’re only a few blocks from the Palace of Fine Arts. It has benches.” He offered his hand.
She took it.
She wished she’d never have to let go.
There was no moon out. It was a blessedly mild and dry February night in San Francisco. The only light emanated from the top of the palace’s dome, making it difficult for them to see the dips and curves in the path that led to the benches circling the park’s grand pond.
He waited until they were seated before coming out with it: “The man in the villa is not Art.”
“Oh.” The thought that Art was still alive stunned her.
She was not happy about it. In fact, had Daniel said the opposite, she would have been relieved.
“Bettina, if you know where he may be, or where he placed the money, you need to tell me.”
Unconsciously, her hand went to her throat, where Art’s safe deposit key was secured on a silver chain. Realizing this, she dropped it quickly. “Please don’t blame me because he’s slipped through your fingers. I have nothing to do with it,” she retorted crossly. “And I’ve already told you, I don’t know where the money is! Why won’t you believe me?”
“As a prosecutor, I’ve learned to draw my conclusions based on facts. And the fact is, Bettina, I’ve yet to find anyone who trusts you. So, why should I?”
Bettina jumped up. “Because you’re different—and because I…”
Stop it, before you make a fool of yourself.
“You what?” It was too dark to read his eyes. Still, in his voice, she heard hope.
He hopes I’ll tell him what I know—about the key.
But even if I do, he couldn’t verify it as a viable lead before Thursday’s auction. Kelly will win the horse, and I’ll be the laughing stock of San Francisco.
And that may cause AOZ to back out of the deal.
No, I can’t trust him. What if AOZ doesn’t release advance funds this week? What if Kelly outbids me? I’ll have nothing!
No, I have to hold onto the key, in case everything else fails.
“You’re right. I can’t trust anyone. That includes you, Daniel.” Her voice, even to her, sounded lifeless.
“You’re your own worst enemy, Bettina,” Daniel said as he stood up. “I should escort you back to the party. Or, if you like, I can take you home.”
“I’d much prefer home,” she replied meekly.
“If so, I’d like your permission to break the good news to Lily about Art.”
“I’m perfectly fine with that,” Bettina murmured shyly. “Lily was wrong to eavesdrop. In doing so, you inadvertently became the bearer of bad news, which should have come from me. Frankly, I wish it had. She has you on a pedestal, Daniel. On the other hand, in her eyes I have far less distance to fall.”
Outlined by the distant light, she saw him nod his thanks.
She could never tell him that she’d do anything to extend her time with him, even if it was only for an hour.
Having him share her child’s relief would be the perfect way to spend a bit more time in his presence.
Chapter Twelve
Thursday, 14 February
6:16 a.m.
“Why are you out of bed?” Ally’s honeyed whisper was thickened with all sorts of promises.
Brady turned around. He was still buttoning his shirt. “I’m taking care of the first of your Valentine’s gifts.”
“Barry and Christian beat you to the punch,” she reminded him. “They’re minding Oliver and Zoe for us today—or have you forgotten?” She patted the bed beside her.
“Trust me, this is even better,” he promised.
“If it’s a trip to Bob’s Doughnuts, no need. I’d much rather you work off my calories than add to them.” Ally chuckled. “Speaking of edible delights”— she pulled a bright thong from her bedside table. “I won this at the parents’ Valentine’s party! Remember?” Holding it up for him to see, she purred, “At Ally’s Bed & Breakfast, no shirt, no shoes, and you’ll still be well serviced. For that matter, those slacks aren’t necessary either…” she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Brioni? Just to hike down to Bob’s?”
“Nope, not Bob’s.” Brady took a deep breath. “Garrett’s. Just like you asked.”
She sat straight up in the bed. “Him? …On Valentine’s Day?”
“Tell me about it.” He looked down at the front of his slacks. “As you can see, not actually an erection builder.”
She leaned back onto her pillow. “Can’t you push it back by a few hours? I’d make it worth your while.”
Brady laughed. “I’ve no doubt you would. But…I have another meeting, in the early afternoon, and he insisted on it taking place today, before lunch. I guess he doesn’t believe in celebrating Valentine’s Day with his wife.”
Ally’s smile faded. “Have you ever met her?”
“Depends. Is he still on Number Three? Or has he moved on to Number Four?” He shrugged. “Hey, at least I got him out of his evil lair. We’re meeting halfway: in Menlo Park, at Madera. His suggestion.” He bent down to kiss her forehead.
Instead, she met his lips with hers. When finally they parted, she murmured, “Brady, thank you for making the effort. In fact, for all you’ve done.”
“One way or another, it’ll be worth it.”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean that it will be worth the effort if it gets him out of your system. Once and for all.” Seeing the dubious look on her face, he added, “Don’t worry, Ally, I’m not out to sabotage any budding relationship you might want to establish with him. Trust me, Garrett can ruin any relationship all on his own.”
“I do trust you. My personal feelings aside—and yours, for that matter—I just want to make sure we are both on the same page: the endgame is the best deal for the business, no matter who offers it.” She shuddered. “From what little I saw of Garrett Hartley, that’s all I want from him.”
Satisfied. Brady nodded “I’m not making any promises that we’ll get anything at all from that rascally rabbit,” he warned her. “Which is just fine with me. Collins, Acworth, and Markham have already invested a lot into R&D for Life of Pie. They won’t walk away quickly. If anything, o
nce they know Garrett is circling, they’ll dig in their heels—and dig deeper into their pockets.”
“So far, I’ve gotten nothing from Garrett,” she reminded him. “Why should I expect anything more?”
“My point exactly. Just don’t shoot the messenger.”
* * *
9:11 a.m.
“I’m surprised I was able to coerce you into Menlo Park so early in the morning.” Garrett raised his glass of orange juice to Brady. “In fact, I’d hoped that Ally would be taking the meeting herself.”
“Oh? Why is that? Do you still hold it against me that I wouldn’t take your offer to stay with the company and watch you decimate it?”
“Not at all,” Garrett assured him. “But I never forgave you for making an honest woman of Jade.” He grinned. “I see that didn’t last long. A pity. With those tits and that ass—not to mention the face of an angel! I was with you, that night at the Condor, remember? Dammit, had I been a better tipper that night—”
“It wouldn’t have helped.” Even as Brady tapped the knife from his place setting on the table, he kept his eyes on Garrett. “She just wasn’t your type.”
Garrett snickered. “What type is that?”
“Jade isn’t a gold digger.” Brady hadn’t always thought that, but Jade’s actions over the past year had proven him wrong.
Garrett’s smile faded.
“Look, Garrett, neither of us is here to reminisce about old times—or for that matter, old wives,” Brady continued. “Unless you’re willing to come clean with why you never married Ally’s mother.”
Garrett shrugged. “She was just another woman with tits that…” He winked knowingly at Brady. “But I digress. You’re right. We should keep to the topic at hand: how to best handle Ally.”
When Brady dropped the knife, it clinked loudly on the glass top table. “No, Garrett. Don’t even go there. If you’re interested in Life of Pie, that’s one thing. If you want some sort of inside track with Ally—”
Garrett laughed. “Whoa, slow down, cowboy! I’m not here to wrangle your little heifer away from you.”
Brady glanced around the room, which was filled with Silicon Valley movers and shakers. Why am I sitting here with this asshole when I could be pitching anyone else?
He patted his lips with his napkin and stood up. “My partner is not a heifer. She’s a smart, elegant woman who has developed and is running two companies. We already have financing. This is a courtesy meeting requested by you—”
Garrett’s cell phone rang.
“Hold that thought,” Garrett demanded as he tapped onto it. “Yeah…Owen! Perfect timing. In fact, he’s right here.” He handed the phone to Brady. “For you. It’s your ‘financing.’”
Stymied, Brady eased back down into his chair. Gingerly, he took the phone. “Brady Pierce speaking.”
“Brady? Hi. It’s Owen Acworth. Listen, we got a call yesterday from Garrett. He mentioned he’d run into Ally a couple of weeks ago. Of course, he already knew about Life of Pie’s success. He did a little checking and he heard we already had our fingers in her pies, so to speak.” Owen laughed weakly.
“Yes, go on.” Brady already knew where this was going, but he wanted to hear Owen’s breakup chatter.
“Well, you know how these things go: one thing led to another, and yada, yada, yada, the next thing you know he’s made us an offer we can’t refuse.” He sighed mightily. “So, yeah, we don’t mind swallowing a poison pill.”
“Breaking up is hard to do, right?” Brady knew to keep it light.
“Always is.” Owen sighed, relieved.
“Owen, I suppose you’ve already sent Garrett’s offer to our attorney, Barry.”
Garrett stopped slathering his bagel with cream cheese in order to butt in. “Being sent over to his office now, as we speak.”
“Owen, never mind. Keep in touch.” Brady didn’t wait for his response. After tapping off, he tossed the phone back to Garrett.
Garrett looked down at Brady’s bowl of steel-cut oatmeal. “I take it you’ve lost your appetite.”
In truth, Brady felt like vomiting. Instead, he smiled. Leaning back in his chair, he countered, “You know, we wrote a few fail-safes into our contract with Acworth, Collins, & Markham.”
“I’m quite aware of them. Two of the three partners must be in agreement before anything can be signed off on.” Garrett shrugged. “I’m sure you can coerce the girls to play ball. If not, slap them into line. Better yet, play one against the other. That always seems to work.”
Brady winced. “They are women, not girls.”
“Are you telling me that their egos won’t come into play?”
“They trust each other. They’re the best of friends.”
“So were we,” Garrett pointed out.
“No. I trusted you. I thought you were my friend. You proved me wrong.”
“You survived,” Garrett countered. “Not only that, I made you a billionaire several times over.” He shrugged. “When all is said and done, Ally will survive too. A big fat bank account goes a long way to assuaging a whole lot of pain.”
“Then you’ll have nothing to worry about. Frankly, Garrett, you’re wrong if you think you can buy Ally’s respect. And I sure as hell know that if you treat her like you treat every other woman in your life—like you treated her mother—you’ll lose her forever.”
This time, when Brady stood up, he knew he wasn’t going to sit back down.
* * *
12:12 p.m.
Matthew knocked twice on Bettina’s bedroom door.
When she didn’t respond, he took it upon himself to open the door anyway. “Hey, Sis, Mother is watching Dante for me. Got any plans on this glorious afternoon?”
“Yes,” she growled grumpily from under her blanket. “To lie here all day like a beached whale and pray that this child pops out of my womb as soon as possible.”
She didn’t want to show him she’d been crying. It was true that the baby had been kicking all morning. But her real reason for her tears was the realization that someone else would soon own the horse statue.
And one day they’d learn that the base opened, they’d find what was inside, and it would be all over town that the previous owner—her—was a vile blackmailer.
Once again, people would abhor the sight of her.
“I have a better idea,” Matthew said. “Let me take you out to lunch. How about Café Claude? The coq au vin is still your favorite, isn’t it?”
“How can you think of eating at a time like this?” she moaned.
He sat on the edge of her bed. “What time is that, Sis? You mean, with the auction less than an hour away?”
She sat straight up in the bed. “You…you know about the auction?”
He nodded. “And I also know that you want your statue back.”
She turned her head to the wall. “Do you know why it means so much to me?”
“Other than the fact that it’s worth a lot of dough, and losing it upsets you this much, no.” Gently, he took her hand. “And, frankly, that’s all that counts. So, what say you put on something decent and we get over to the Fairmont as soon as possible?”
She didn’t remember the last time she’d really hugged Matthew, let alone cried on his shoulder.
Maybe never.
At least these were tears of joy.
* * *
12:48 p.m.
“Wow! This ballroom is large—and already packed!” Ally exclaimed to Lorna and Jillian.
Awed, Jillian nodded. “I hope we can find three chairs together.”
“Make it four,” Lorna murmured. She shifted her feet uncomfortably. “The way these babies are squirming, I may need two all by myself.” In truth, her body ached all over. She was determined to ignore the pain. At least, until they got what they came for.
Craning her neck, Ally exclaimed, “Spotted some empty ones—all the way on the other side, last row. It’s even on the end of a row.” She took Lorna’s arm in hers a
nd guided her to the back of the room in order to make their way over.
In doing so, they walked right by Brady: about six rows in, stuck in the middle of an aisle.
And because he was so busy perusing his catalog, he missed them as well.
“These seats are horrendous,” Kelly muttered to Kimberley. “Why did you choose the front row?”
“It was your idea that I get here early and save a seat for you,” Kimberley countered. “I thought you’d like to be right up front.”
Kelly frowned. “As always, you thought wrong. We can’t view the rest of the crowd from here. I want to see Bettina’s face when I snag her little statue right out from under her.”
Kimberley hadn’t expected Kelly to call her this morning and insist that Kimberley accompany her to the auction. Kimberley thought she had an excuse: she couldn’t find a babysitter on such short notice.
Kelly wouldn’t hear of it, insisting that Kimberley could share hers. “Besides,” Kelly cooed, “You wouldn’t want to miss it for anything in the world, would you? It’s why you told me about it in the first place.”
No, thought Kimberley. I told you because you were standing over me with a whip.
Now she regretted telling Kelly. At least Bettina would have honored the trade of the file for the cell phone. Better to have taken her licks with that whip than leave Kelly with the means to blackmail her for the rest of her life, along with all the other Top Moms.
Kelly stood up and looked around. “Look! Daniel is standing on the side, there—but Bettina isn’t with him. In fact, I don’t see Bettina anywhere.” She poked Kimberley. “I thought you said she was going to be here.”
Kimberley stifled the urge to poke her back. Miffed, she retorted, “Don’t worry. She wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Suddenly, a broad smile came to Kelly’s lips. “Ha! She just walked in, with Matthew.” She waved gaily. “You fool! You should have saved her a seat as well. That would have made my day.”
Kimberley slunk down and prayed that Kelly wouldn’t suggest that she allow Bettina to take her chair.