Judd shot his brother a nasty look. Doug knew how much he loathed public speaking. Give Judd a conference room full of hard-nosed businessmen and he was perfectly fine. However, the thought of standing up in front of his former classmates and trying to be entertaining tied him in knots. Why had he agreed to this? Why?!
“I’m sure you have lots of amazing insight to offer,” Cassidy said, Doug’s sarcasm completely lost on her.
“You’ll do fine,” Whitney assured him, placing a hand on his arm. Clusters of tingles rippled through him as the warmth of her skin seeped into his. “I’ll be sure and give you a good introduction.”
Curiosity stirred inside him. “What will you say?” No one had contacted him, asking for information on his background or life.
“Oh, I have plenty that I can say.” The faint lines around the edges of her eyes crinkled as she cast him a Mona Lisa smile, deepening her dimple. His pulse picked up a beat. Had Whitney been following him on social media? Judd made a point of not posting anything too personal. There was, no doubt, plenty of information about him online. He soaked in her well-modeled face, his eyes settling on her luscious, heart-shaped lips. His breath ran faster as thoughts of kissing her ran through his brain. Doug cleared his throat, bringing Judd back to reality.
Judd flinched, realizing all eyes at the table were fixed on him and Whitney. Well, mostly him because he was staring googly eyed at Whitney. They all knew he was totally enamored with Whitney. And, for some strange reason, she seemed to like Judd also. He felt like he was living out some sort of unfulfilled fantasy where the most popular and beautiful girl in high school paid attention to him. Hadn’t he vowed to come across as charming and self-assured? No chance of that happening now.
A bemused smile touched Whitney’s features. Yep, she could tell he was smitten. Of course, she was probably used to guys falling over her.
Servers donning white shirts and black bowties began placing salads in front of them. Judd’s stomach growled. He could tell from the look on Whitney’s face that she’d heard it. Judd waited politely for everyone at the table to be served before placing his napkin in his lap and reaching for a fork. He hardly had time to eat two bites before Cassidy looked at Whitney. Nodding, Whitney scooted back her chair, stood, and glided regally to the podium. She was perfectly at ease, like she’d done this a million times before.
“Good evening,” Whitney began warmly. “It’s hard to believe it has been twenty years since we graduated. I still feel like I’m eighteen, then I look in the mirror and it shouts otherwise.” Laughter bubbled up.
“You’re still a Fox,” a guy shouted from the back, evoking a few heartier chortles.
Whitney grinned. “Thank you, Mitch.” She wagged a finger. “And you’re still talking out of turn. Maybe we should talk to Mr. Peterson about sending you to detention,” she said, casting a teasing look at her former science teacher.
Mr. Peterson’s head swung back and forth. “Sorry, but I did my time with Mitchell Grant,” he answered dryly with only the faintest touch of laughter. “You couldn’t pay me enough to reopen that door.”
This nearly brought the house down as everyone laughed and applauded.
Judd marveled at how adeptly Whitney controlled the crowd. No wonder she’d been such a queen bee back in high school. She was still the crown jewel of the room, not just in looks but also in personality and stature.
“It’s my distinct pleasure to welcome our keynote speaker for the evening, our very own Judd Hoffman.” More applause sounded through the audience. Whitney patiently waited for it to quiet down before continuing. “Judd graduated from Westside High with a 3.98 GPA. He was a Phi Beta Kappa and member of the math team. He went on to attend The University of Wyoming. It was there, during his junior year, where he masterminded the idea for Homestay and enlisted the help of his roommate and another friend who also lived in the same apartment building.”
Was the part about him being the instigator for the business online? If so, Judd wasn’t aware. He pulled his mind back to what Whitney was saying.
“From its humble beginnings, Homestay developed into a Fortune 500 Company of which Judd is the CEO. People Magazine listed Judd as one of last year’s most notable 40 under forty. He resides in Jackson and has one daughter. In his personal time, you might find Judd hiking, spending time at his ranch, or horseback riding. He likes chocolate ice cream and ham and pineapple pizza.”
Judd’s brows creased in surprise. Yes, he did like those foods. How did Whitney know?
An impish smile played on Whitney’s lips as she looked at Judd. “Should I give them the inside scoop?”
He blinked, having no idea where this was going. “Am I going to regret this?”
Whitney chuckled. “Only one way to find out.” She turned back to the audience, her voice taking on a hush of excitement that drew Judd and everyone else in, making them want to know what she was going to say next. “Okay, fellow wolverines, this may come as a surprise to many of you,” Whitney continued, “but Judd participated in rodeo events during high school and college. And, from what I hear, he was actually quite good.”
Kudos to Whitney, she’d done her homework.
Whitney’s voice grew ponderous as she turned to Judd. “On a personal note, I remember Judd as being a kind and considerate classmate. He once helped me retrieve papers and notebooks that had gotten scattered across the parking lot from the wind. One of those notebooks contained a children’s story I was working on. Back then, I was self-conscious about showing anyone my work. Judd saw my illustrations and told me they were good. When I laughed off his compliment, Judd told me that I should keep drawing and that it might one day lead to something great.” She paused, throwing Judd a quick smile before continuing. “It may not seem like a big thing, but you see, even though Judd didn’t know it, he was the first person, outside of my family, to ever see my work.”
Wow, Judd had no idea. He caught the slight quiver of emotion in Whitney’s voice. It spread warmth through Judd’s entire body, making him feel such a strong connection to her that it was almost palpable. He remembered the incident like it was yesterday. He’d lived for a chance to talk to Whitney and was ecstatic that the situation had arisen. He would’ve kissed the wind if he could’ve for scattering those papers and notebooks. If only he’d had more courage back then to talk to Whitney and get to know her, how different things might’ve been. No, he couldn’t think like that. Judd was the person he was today because of his experiences. His marriage to Dominique had given him Ellie.
Whitney held up a hand, motioning to Judd. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she proclaimed, “Judd Hoffman.”
Quickly, Judd pulled himself out of his thoughts. Showtime. Putting on what Judd hoped was a stately smile, he arose. Judd and Whitney passed on his way to the podium. On impulse, he touched her arm and offered an appreciative smile. You’ve got this, her eyes seemed to be saying. He got the feeling that she knew how uncomfortable he was about speaking tonight. He’d put notes into his phone. He pulled it out and placed it on the podium.
“Thank you, Whitney. I’m not sure who that guy was that you so glowingly described, but I guess I’ll have to suffice.” Judd heard his brother, Doug, chuckle, but that was it. The audience just stared blankly at him like they had no idea what he was talking about. He tugged at his shirt collar. Tough crowd. “Maybe you should send me back to detention.”
Mr. Peterson was the only one who laughed.
His heart began to pound, and he got the panicked feeling that his tongue was swelling like a bloated sausage in his mouth. He cleared his throat with a short cough. “It was an honor to be asked to speak to you this evening. As Whitney said, it’s hard to believe twenty years have passed. I can assure you the mirror has been much kinder to Whitney than to me.” This earned him a few laughs, causing him to settle down a bit. “People often ask how I came up with the idea for Homestay. The truth is, I sort of fell into it. A friend of mine was selling his apartment and offered me a deal I cou
ldn’t refuse.” Judd told briefly how the business came to be.
About midway through his narrative, he noticed the scowl on the man’s face sitting at one of the front tables. He recognized the man as Andy Roberts, the star quarterback. Andy dated Whitney throughout high school. Back then, Andy was good-looking in a strapping, Viking way with large muscles and a full head of blond hair. Andy’s muscles had turned to flab, landing him a flat tire around the middle. His hair was thinning on top, and he had a network of broken capillaries over his nose and cheeks, making Judd wonder if Andy was fond of alcohol.
Andy was sitting alone, without a plus one. Judd could feel the man’s animosity growing larger by the minute. It was perplexing. If anyone had a right to harbor bad feelings it was Judd. Andy had tormented Judd throughout high school, jeering at him in the halls, shooting spit wads at him, and even sneaking up behind Judd and burning a black spot on the seat of his jeans while the teacher was out of the room. The bullying got worse when Andy got ahold of one of Judd’s notebooks and discovered that he’d written Whitney’s name and put a heart around it. The situation got so bad that finally Judd’s dad paid a visit to Andy’s dad. Things settled down after that.
Judd spoke for ten long, painful minutes. He could see the relief on the faces of those in the audience when he finally ended his speech and sat down. He walked back to his seat amidst ripples of polite applause. Why people assumed that a businessman would make a good public speaker was beyond him. Never again would he put himself through that.
Cassidy got up and started the slideshow presentation.
“You survived,” Whitney whispered.
He grunted. “Barely.” His salad had been replaced with a tough-looking steak and a baked potato, dripping in butter and sour cream. He picked up his fork and knife.
Musical laughter issued from Whitney’s throat. “You seemed miserable.”
He sawed off a piece of steak. “I was miserable,” he lamented placing the meat in his mouth. He began to chew. It was like trying to break apart a shoe. He swallowed. “Speaking in front of everyone was torture. I felt like a petrified teenager all over again.” Putting the silverware down, he gulped a sip of water.
“Well, you don’t look it.”
He blinked, realizing the implication of Whitney’s statement. Thankfully, Judd had finally filled out his body. Thanks to a rigid exercise program with a personal trainer who might as well have been a drill sergeant, Judd was in tiptop physical condition.
Her eyes held his, and he could feel her admiration. It cloaked him like a warm blanket. “From where I’m sitting, you’re pretty impressive.”
“So are you,” he said sincerely. “You’re still as beautiful as ever.”
“Thank you.” She looked down, her lashes brushing against her soft skin.
“You did a fantastic job with my introduction. You were a natural up there.”
She chuckled. “I can please the crowd, but I certainly can’t start and run a Fortune 500 Company.”
“But you can write and illustrate award-winning children’s books. Thanks for sharing that bit about your illustrations.”
She gave him a direct look. “It’s the truth.”
“So, how’s The Magic of Mossy Meadow Series doing?”
A pleased smile tipped her lips. “You’ve done your homework.”
“As have you.” A furrow dented his brows. “How did you know that I was the instigator of Homestay? I don’t remember that being published anywhere. Also, my favorite foods and the rodeo events?”
“Your mother told me.”
He barked out a cough. “You’ve been talking to my mother?”
“Uh, huh. I interviewed her so I could do your introduction.”
No wonder his mother had Whitney on her brain!
Whitney motioned to his food. “You should eat before it gets cold.” She leaned in, a flash of teasing streaking through her tawny eyes. “It’s terrible enough warm. Better not add insult to injury.”
He laughed. “You make a valid point.”
“Shh,” Doug warned, shooting them chastising looks. “Some of us are trying to listen to the presentation.” Laughter simmered in his eyes as he looked at Judd.
Judd rose to the bait in an instant. “Pipe down, Principal Hoffman, we’re not your students.”
Whitney sniggered then put her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter.
Sylvie piped in. “Doug tries to boss me around too, but I keep him in line.” She cut her eyes at Doug who draped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
“It’s alright, Sylvie. We all know who’s really the boss,” Judd taunted.
Mr. Peterson grinned. “Now, boys. Am I going to need to put you in detention?”
“Yes, siree,” Doug hooted. “Detention might cool his heels.” He threw Whitney a speculative look. “Or the right woman might just do the trick.”
Judd could’ve strangled his little brother, especially when he saw the deep blush that came over Whitney’s cheeks.
“I’m sorry. Don’t pay any attention to him,” he began in an attempt to put Whitney at ease.
Her eyes sparked with an emotion he couldn’t quite discern. “You don’t think I’m the right woman?”
He tried to speak but his tongue was choking off his windpipe. He gurgled. “Uh, well.” He swallowed hard. “I’m thinking it’s a distinct possibility. That is … if you’re available.” He held his breath, awaiting her answer.
“For the right man.”
“What about the mayor?”
She didn’t so much as blink. “What about him?”
“Aren’t the two of you involved?”
Her eyes glittered in a challenge. “Like I said, when the right man comes along, I’ll be available.”
He didn’t try to stop the pleased smile from filling his face. “Alrighty then. Good to know.” It was certainly turning out to be an interesting evening. He leaned in close to her. “How are you at dancing?”
“I can hold my own. What about you?”
“Two left feet,” he winced, “but I’m willing to give it a go … with the right woman.”
She rewarded him with a smile so brilliant that it caused him to lose his train of thought for a split second. “Alright, Wonder Boy, we’ll see what you’ve got.”
He laughed, feeling ridiculously happy. He settled back into his seat, shifting his attention to the pictures flashing across the large screen. A few minutes passed before he sensed the change in Whitney’s demeanor. Clutching her neck in a protective gesture, she cast a furtive glance in the direction of the table next to them. Instinctively, Judd felt her apprehension. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
She offered a tight smile. “Nothing.”
He looked over to where Andy Roberts was sitting. When he realized that Judd was looking at him, he scowled before turning away. It was startling how quickly a fierce protectiveness welled up inside Judd. He touched Whitney’s arm, leaning in close and whispering in her ear. “Is he bothering you?” Her scent was intoxicating. Sheesh. This woman was throwing him for a loop.
Judd could see the answer in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled slightly as she gave a curt nod in the affirmative.
Judd’s muscles grew taut. Everything in him wanted to jump up that instant and pop Andy Roberts in the face. “What’s he been doing?”
“Shh,” Doug hissed from across the table. Judd threw his brother a dagger look, but Doug only chuckled and blew him a kiss. Doug thought he was being cute. He obviously had no idea that something serious was going on.
Whitney placed a hand over Judd’s. Her touch evoked an electric spark that sizzled his senses. “I’ll explain later,” she promised, “after the presentation.”
What could possibly be going on between Whitney and Andy? Sure, she’d dated him as a teenager, but she was so far out of Andy’s league now that they might as well have been from different planets. In business, Judd was the big man on campus. He made demands and
people immediately complied. Sometimes, it was hard for his brain to register that life didn’t run as smoothly outside his area of influence. A very large part of Judd wanted to demand that Whitney tell him now what was going on, but he nodded instead. A couple minutes later, he looked past Whitney to Andy Roberts. He stared a hole through the weasel until Andy couldn’t stand it any longer and finally, begrudgingly met his eyes. Judd glared straight at the man, hoping to convey that if he intended to do Whitney any harm, then he’d have to go through Judd first. Andy’s expression was surly, but there was no real conviction. Hesitation crept over Andy’s features as he averted his gaze.
Judd felt a swift ping of vindication, not only for being able to offer protection to Whitney, but also for being able to stand up to his former bully. The tables had turned. Judd knew it, and he knew that Andy Roberts knew it too. Andy Roberts had made Judd’s high school years miserable. Yet, Judd had no desire for retribution or to dig up the dirt of the past. So long as Andy went his merry way and stayed away from Whitney, Judd would leave it at that. However, if Andy wanted to play ball, then so be it. Game on!
Wait a minute! What the heck was he doing? Judd didn’t even know what the situation was between Whitney and Andy. He’d only just reconnected with Whitney—was really just now getting to know her. It wasn’t like the two of them were an item. Still, Judd couldn’t deny that he felt a strong connection to her. He wanted to help Whitney with whatever problem she had with Andy Roberts. The rational side of Judd’s brain took over. Before he jumped the gun and did something stupid, he needed to find out what the deal was. Yes, that was the prudent thing to do. Still, he couldn’t help but cast Andy another blistering look, just so there would be no mistaking that Judd meant business.
4
The dance floor was crowded, which Judd didn’t mind. It gave him an excuse to pull Whitney close. Even though she was thin, her body was lithe and strong. Judd liked the way they moved in sync. Whitney was an excellent dancer. It took him a few minutes to get the hang of the rhythm, but he was doing a decent job of staying with her.
Saving the Billionaire's Daughter Page 3