large glass doors to the deck was Dylan. He stood in profile to her, talking with his mother. As he smiled she felt the advent of her previous feelings and she quickly looked away, frustrated at how quickly they had returned.
“Lisa, can I get you anything to drink?” Alex was beside her, smiling down at her.
“No. Thanks.”
“And how did you enjoy church?” he asked, drawing her aside.
Lisa glanced up at him, at the features so like his son’s, except softened by age. “I’m glad I went,” she said, glad she could be honest about something. “It was a real blessing.”
Alex’s smile blossomed. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Dad, here’s your iced tea.” Ted joined them then,handing his father a tall frosted glass. “Well, hello, Lisa. Where have you been hiding? I stopped by an hour ago, but neither you nor my brother were home.”
“Dylan and Lisa came to church with us,” Alex said quietly, a faint edge to his voice.
Ted’s eyebrows shot up and he quirked her a wry grin. “Dylan? In church? You are a surprising influence on my brother, Lisa. I guess there’s hope for him after all.”
“Well, false hope is better than no hope at all,” Lisa quipped.
“So have you and Dylan been able to corroborate what Dara has discovered?” Ted asked her. “I know she’s been quite upset about the whole problem. Quite disturbing.”
Lisa nodded, wishing she’d taken Alex up on his offer of something to drink. She might have missed talking to Ted. There was a hollow heartiness about him that rang false. As if he was trying too hard to be who he was. She never felt comfortable around him.
“Nothing that’s jumped out at us yet.” She angled him a quick glance. “Maybe he didn’t do it.”
Ted laughed. “Oh, he did it, all right.” Ted turned to his father. “I still don’t know why you’re bothering with this. It’s over. We found out who did it. Let’s carry on.”
Alex swirled his iced tea in his glass and shook his head. “It’s not over yet, Ted. I want to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt that we have done the right thing.”
Ted bit his lip and jerked his head to one side, as if holding back some retort.
“What’s not over yet?” Dylan asked, coming to stand beside Lisa.
She kept her eyes on Alex, but every fiber of her being was aware of Dylan behind her. She caught the faint scent of his aftershave, then almost started when he laid a light hand on her shoulder. Part of the act, she reminded herself, suppressing another shiver.
“Your make-work project,” Ted said with a sigh. He gave his brother a quick glance. “The job Dad dragged you back here to do in the hopes that he could talk you into staying with Matheson Telecom.”
Lisa felt Dylan’s fingers tighten on her shoulder, but his voice betrayed no emotion at all. “That won’t happen, Ted. But I’m glad to help out while I’m here.”
“Trust me, Dylan. It’s a setup. There’s nothing to do here.” Then he turned and left them.
Dylan released the pressure on Lisa’s shoulder, but didn’t remove his hand. “Is that true, Dad? Was my coming here just a ruse?”
Alex’s gaze was steadfast, his smile tinged with regret. But he shook his head. “No, Dylan. I truly need your help in this matter.”
“You know my abilities are limited. So are my resources. If you are serious about this, you’ll hire an outside auditor.”
“Trust me on this son. Not yet.”
“Trust.” The word exploded above her head, and Lisa almost flinched at the anger in it. “May I remind you that it was trusting you that got us into this mess, Dad.”
Alex winced, then nodded. “You’re right, son.”
Lisa chanced a quick glance up at Dylan. His jaw was set, his eyes narrowed.
She felt caught up in a storm of feelings, yet felt as if they were on the verge of something big. Important.
The moment stretched between them, then Alex turned away.
Dylan’s hand slipped off her shoulder and he drew it over his
“Lisa, can I get you anything to drink?” Alex was beside her, smiling down at her.
“No. Thanks.”
“And how did you enjoy church?” he asked, drawing her aside.
Lisa glanced up at him, at the features so like his son’s, except softened by age. “I’m glad I went,” she said, glad she could be honest about something. “It was a real blessing.”
Alex’s smile blossomed. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Dad, here’s your iced tea.” Ted joined them then,handing his father a tall frosted glass. “Well, hello, Lisa. Where have you been hiding? I stopped by an hour ago, but neither you nor my brother were home.”
“Dylan and Lisa came to church with us,” Alex said quietly, a faint edge to his voice.
Ted’s eyebrows shot up and he quirked her a wry grin. “Dylan? In church? You are a surprising influence on my brother, Lisa. I guess there’s hope for him after all.”
“Well, false hope is better than no hope at all,” Lisa quipped.
“So have you and Dylan been able to corroborate what Dara has discovered?” Ted asked her. “I know she’s been quite upset about the whole problem. Quite disturbing.”
Lisa nodded, wishing she’d taken Alex up on his offer of something to drink. She might have missed talking to Ted. There was a hollow heartiness about him that rang false. As if he was trying too hard to be who he was. She never felt comfortable around him.
“Nothing that’s jumped out at us yet.” She angled him a quick glance. “Maybe he didn’t do it.”
Ted laughed. “Oh, he did it, all right.” Ted turned to his father. “I still don’t know why you’re bothering with this. It’s over. We found out who did it. Let’s carry on.”
Alex swirled his iced tea in his glass and shook his head. “It’s not over yet, Ted. I want to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt that we have done the right thing.”
Ted bit his lip and jerked his head to one side, as if holding back some retort.
“What’s not over yet?” Dylan asked, coming to stand beside Lisa.
She kept her eyes on Alex, but every fiber of her being was aware of Dylan behind her. She caught the faint scent of his aftershave, then almost started when he laid a light hand on her shoulder. Part of the act, she reminded herself, suppressing another shiver.
“Your make-work project,” Ted said with a sigh. He gave his brother a quick glance. “The job Dad dragged you back here to do in the hopes that he could talk you into staying with Matheson Telecom.”
Lisa felt Dylan’s fingers tighten on her shoulder, but his voice betrayed no emotion at all. “That won’t happen, Ted. But I’m glad to help out while I’m here.”
“Trust me, Dylan. It’s a setup. There’s nothing to do here.” Then he turned and left them.
Dylan released the pressure on Lisa’s shoulder, but didn’t remove his hand. “Is that true, Dad? Was my coming here just a ruse?”
Alex’s gaze was steadfast, his smile tinged with regret. But he shook his head. “No, Dylan. I truly need your help in this matter.”
“You know my abilities are limited. So are my resources. If you are serious about this, you’ll hire an outside auditor.”
“Trust me on this son. Not yet.”
“Trust.” The word exploded above her head, and Lisa almost flinched at the anger in it. “May I remind you that it was trusting you that got us into this mess, Dad.”
Alex winced, then nodded. “You’re right, son.”
Lisa chanced a quick glance up at Dylan. His jaw was set, his eyes narrowed.
She felt caught up in a storm of feelings, yet felt as if they were on the verge of something big. Important.
The moment stretched between them, then Alex turned away.
Dylan’s hand slipped off her shoulder and he drew it over his
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