A Bargain with the Boss by Barbara Dunlop Page B

again.
    â€œTell him about my father’s heart attack and tell him I’m destroying the company.”
    She looked a little surprised by the last statement. “You want to make certain he comes home.”
    â€œI want to make certain he knows the cost of staying away.”
    â€œI’m not going to lie for you.”
    â€œIt’s not a lie.”
    â€œIt is. You’re not destroying the company. You’ve hit a rough patch, sure, but—”
    â€œYou haven’t been there.”
    It was every bit as bad as he was making it sound.
    â€œYou’re exaggerating,” she said.
    They could have this debate all day long and get nowhere. He had a toehold on a yes here, and he didn’t want to give her a chance to back out.
    â€œWhat’ll it cost me?” he asked.
    â€œYou’re talking about a flat-out cash bribe?”
    â€œIf that’s what works.”
    She looked skeptical. “And I’d only have to tell him about your father.”
    â€œAnd that I’m destroying the company.”
    â€œI’m not using the word destroy .”
    â€œThen, tell him I’ve projected a loss for next month.” Tuck knew that would come as a colossal shock to Dixon. He’d be on the first plane home.
    He could see the debate going on behind her eyes.
    â€œHow much?” he asked.
    What would she ask for? Five figures, six? He’d pay whatever she wanted.
    â€œMy job back,” she said.
    He hadn’t been prepared for that. And he was shocked she’d be willing. “You want to work for me again?”
    â€œI want to work for Dixon again.”
    â€œJob’s yours,” he said. He’d be thrilled to have her back. In fact, he felt guilty that her request was so modest. He moved a little closer. “You have to know you’ve got me over a barrel?”
    â€œDo you want me to ask for something more?”
    He did. If nothing else, he was curious. “Yeah. Go wild.”
    She hesitated.
    He raised a brow, waiting.
    â€œAll right.” She withdrew a paper from her purse, unfolding it. “Since you insist.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” He tried to look, but she pulled it toward her chest.
    â€œYou can give me a signing bonus.”
    â€œHow much?”
    â€œTwenty-eight thousand, two hundred and sixty-three dollars.”
    Now she really had him curious.
    â€œWhere did that number come from?”
    â€œNone of your business.” She refolded the paper and stuffed it back in her purse.
    â€œSeriously. What are you paying for?”
    â€œSeriously. None of your business.”
    Tuck told himself to shut up and take the victory. “You’ll call him.”
    â€œI will.”
    â€œI mean now.”
    â€œRight now?”
    He gave a sharp nod.
    â€œI suppose.” She turned again for the front door.
    He followed and she twisted her head to look at him.
    â€œYou don’t trust me?”
    â€œI do. I don’t.” No, that wasn’t true. He couldn’t imagine she’d lie about making the call. “I do trust you. But I want to see what happens.”
    She unlocked the front door, pushing it open. “I don’t know for sure where he is. I didn’t lie to you about that. But he did leave an emergency number.”
    Tuck wanted to ask exactly how bad things had to get before she decided it was an emergency. But he didn’t want to start another argument.
    He stayed silent, and she dropped her purse on a table in the small foyer and extracted her phone, dialing as she moved into the living room.
    â€œDid he get a special cell phone?” Tuck asked. That made the most sense.
    Amber shook her head, listening as the call obviously rang through.
    She sat down on a cream-colored loveseat and crossed her legs. Tuck perched on an end of the sofa at a right angle to her. It faced a gas fireplace and a row of small watercolor seascapes.
    â€œHello,” said Amber.