I’m not going to be dudded out of all the fun.”
For maybe half a second he went completely still—as if she’d really shocked him—and then he shoved his hat low on his forehead and took a slow step backward. Then another. “This is business, Angie, not fun.”
“And business can’t be fun?”
“Not anymore,” he said tightly. And he turned and strode away.
“Nice work, Ange,” Rafe drawled from behind her.
She didn’t turn around, she was too focused on Tomas’s retreat. His broad shoulders were bunched with tension, his long legs moving as if he couldn’t get far enough away from her quickly enough.
Nice work?
“Only if my job description was ‘lose a good friend,’” she said softly.
Rafe’s hand squeezed her shoulder, but the gesture of support and reassurance didn’t do much to ease the thickness in her chest and throat. “You gave him plenty to think about for the next week, don’t you think?”
She frowned back over her shoulder. “What about next week?”
“We’re meeting in Sydney.”
“We?”
“Alex, myself, Tomas. We’re meeting with Konrads again. About the will.”
Angie’s gaze slid, helplessly, back to the man who nowsat still and watchful on his horse. Making sure she did leave? “Are you suggesting he might change his mind?”
“With a little help.”
“What kind of help?” she asked suspiciously.
“Last night I mentioned asking you to help me out. My little brother objected rather strenuously.”
“ I object rather strenuously!”
Rafe winked. “Yeah, but he doesn’t need to know that.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“A little competition wouldn’t harm your cause, babe.”
Yes, the Carlisles hated to be outdone, especially by each other. Hadn’t Tomas’s first words this morning been about her offering herself to the wider Carlisle cause? Angie’s gaze shifted back to the motionless rider and her heart skipped a half-beat.
“Between that and what you’ve given him to think about…”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Close your eyes, lie back, and think of Kameruka.” Rafe grinned and shook his head. “Nice work, Ange.”
“Have either of you considered other methods?” Tomas felt the impact of his brothers’ undivided attention before he looked up from his plate and found them both staring at him, obviously baffled by his out-of-the-blue question.
Around them the late-lunch activity continued in the restaurant of the Sydney Carlisle Grande Hotel. Patrons ate. Waiters waited. Tomas didn’t notice.
He didn’t recall eating his meal. Didn’t recall what they’d discussed while they ate. His attention had been fixed solely on the outcome of their prelunch meeting with Jack Konrads, a week to the day after they’d last met in the Kameruka Downs library.
Long story short: they could fight their father’s will. But then they would have to live with the knowledge that they’d disrespected his last wish.
They had to do this. They had to try.
“Other methods—” Rafe rocked back in his chair “—of eating? Meeting?”
“The baby,” Tomas elucidated. “Artificial conception. I’m thinking of going to a—” Center? Service? Frowning, he searched for the right term. “What do you call those places?”
“A breeding farm?” Rafe suggested.
“A clinic.” Alex put his cutlery down and fixed Tomas with a steely look. The kind he used often in the boardroom to show he meant business. “You don’t have to do this—either of you. That message I got before…”
Vaguely Tomas recalled Alex’s phone blipping just as their meals arrived.
“Susannah has agreed to marry me.”
There was a moment of shocked silence, broken when a waiter arrived to remove their plates. Rafe recovered first and gestured toward the phone. “Are you saying Susannah agreed to marry you by text message? ”
“She knows we’re on a short timeline. I told her I wanted to know as soon as she reached a decision.”
Rafe shook his
For maybe half a second he went completely still—as if she’d really shocked him—and then he shoved his hat low on his forehead and took a slow step backward. Then another. “This is business, Angie, not fun.”
“And business can’t be fun?”
“Not anymore,” he said tightly. And he turned and strode away.
“Nice work, Ange,” Rafe drawled from behind her.
She didn’t turn around, she was too focused on Tomas’s retreat. His broad shoulders were bunched with tension, his long legs moving as if he couldn’t get far enough away from her quickly enough.
Nice work?
“Only if my job description was ‘lose a good friend,’” she said softly.
Rafe’s hand squeezed her shoulder, but the gesture of support and reassurance didn’t do much to ease the thickness in her chest and throat. “You gave him plenty to think about for the next week, don’t you think?”
She frowned back over her shoulder. “What about next week?”
“We’re meeting in Sydney.”
“We?”
“Alex, myself, Tomas. We’re meeting with Konrads again. About the will.”
Angie’s gaze slid, helplessly, back to the man who nowsat still and watchful on his horse. Making sure she did leave? “Are you suggesting he might change his mind?”
“With a little help.”
“What kind of help?” she asked suspiciously.
“Last night I mentioned asking you to help me out. My little brother objected rather strenuously.”
“ I object rather strenuously!”
Rafe winked. “Yeah, but he doesn’t need to know that.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“A little competition wouldn’t harm your cause, babe.”
Yes, the Carlisles hated to be outdone, especially by each other. Hadn’t Tomas’s first words this morning been about her offering herself to the wider Carlisle cause? Angie’s gaze shifted back to the motionless rider and her heart skipped a half-beat.
“Between that and what you’ve given him to think about…”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Close your eyes, lie back, and think of Kameruka.” Rafe grinned and shook his head. “Nice work, Ange.”
“Have either of you considered other methods?” Tomas felt the impact of his brothers’ undivided attention before he looked up from his plate and found them both staring at him, obviously baffled by his out-of-the-blue question.
Around them the late-lunch activity continued in the restaurant of the Sydney Carlisle Grande Hotel. Patrons ate. Waiters waited. Tomas didn’t notice.
He didn’t recall eating his meal. Didn’t recall what they’d discussed while they ate. His attention had been fixed solely on the outcome of their prelunch meeting with Jack Konrads, a week to the day after they’d last met in the Kameruka Downs library.
Long story short: they could fight their father’s will. But then they would have to live with the knowledge that they’d disrespected his last wish.
They had to do this. They had to try.
“Other methods—” Rafe rocked back in his chair “—of eating? Meeting?”
“The baby,” Tomas elucidated. “Artificial conception. I’m thinking of going to a—” Center? Service? Frowning, he searched for the right term. “What do you call those places?”
“A breeding farm?” Rafe suggested.
“A clinic.” Alex put his cutlery down and fixed Tomas with a steely look. The kind he used often in the boardroom to show he meant business. “You don’t have to do this—either of you. That message I got before…”
Vaguely Tomas recalled Alex’s phone blipping just as their meals arrived.
“Susannah has agreed to marry me.”
There was a moment of shocked silence, broken when a waiter arrived to remove their plates. Rafe recovered first and gestured toward the phone. “Are you saying Susannah agreed to marry you by text message? ”
“She knows we’re on a short timeline. I told her I wanted to know as soon as she reached a decision.”
Rafe shook his
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