him about when he first arrived in Dallas. "I heard that if
you don't like Texas weather, wait three days and it’ll
change."
She laughed and went into the chickens’ pen.
“True. The ice will start melting later today, but it’ll only
refreeze tonight.”
“ So, tomorrow we should be able to get
away from this lovely ranch vacation, huh?” To what would he
return? Worry’s knife sliced through his gut.
“ Yes, at least by ten or eleven after
the sun melts the ice. And won’t we be sorry to see the last of
this barn?”
When Trent first became aware of Marvel, he’d
found a stagnant company, drained of its life and resources by
Walter Tucker and his voracious excesses that flirted with fraud.
Flirted? There was no other word for it but embezzlement. Trent
planned to revitalize the company with immediate action. He knew
only dramatic measures would save the firm and the jobs of those
who worked there.
He’d learned of Marvel from Grayson. How Joe
Bob Grayson knew of Trent, he had yet to discover. When Grayson
approached him, cautious excitement flooded Trent as his mind
exploded with possibilities. If not Grayson’s support, though, he
wouldn’t have attempted the purchase of a company whose operation
was unfamiliar and cash reserves diminished.
"Hey, Macleod." Holly nudged him with her egg
basket. "Are you going to admire the scenery until we both
freeze?"
He took the wire basket from her and his
other arm crushed her to him in a bearish embrace. "This should
warm you up." His lips claimed hers, firm at first then gentling to
explore her mouth. She molded against him and her arms slid under
his jacket.
When he broke the embrace, she stared up at
him. The cold air put a flush in her cheeks, but he took credit for
the hunger-glazed look in her luminous blue eyes. Lips the color of
crushed roses, slightly parted with her warm breath forming frost
in the air, tempted him.
An unprecedented burst of optimism hit him.
How could he fail this woman? He became a knight of old battling
the fiery dragon of commerce for his fair ladylove. Or, maybe the
pirate of his reputation slashing away at the chains pulling down
the sinking ship, Marvel.
He swooped up the container of eggs and
pulled Holly with him toward the house. The icy ground invited
caution where he welcomed reckless abandon. With a few near misses,
they reached the kitchen without falling.
Blue pushed by them and plopped onto his
blanket. Trent set the eggs on the counter and whirled Holly into
his arms. She laughed up at him before he lowered his mouth to
hers.
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted the
kiss. After so long a silence, the sound startled them apart.
Holly rushed to where she’d left her own
phone, flipped it on, and dialed her home. The answering machine
picked up so she left a brief message and disconnected. Before she
could punch the auto-dial for her grandparents, she glanced up. The
look on Trent’s face froze her in place.
“ Trent? What is it? Is the meeting
rescheduled?”
He closed the phone and slid it into his
pocket. Without answering he headed for the back door.
She rushed to head him off. “Trent? Please
answer me.”
He paused and she saw his shoulders heave
with a great breath. Slowly, he turned. The animated excitement of
a few minutes ago had changed to a pale stone mask.
“ That was Gordon. The Amberfield team
came. Gordon took them on a tour and gave them our pitch, but they
were pissed that I wasn’t there.”
“ Surely they understood that you can’t
control the weather. And Gordon’s the Executive VP, so they
shouldn’t feel slighted, for heaven’s sakes.” What was wrong with
her? For a moment she’d forgotten she didn’t want these people to
accept Trent’s offer.
“ They wouldn’t commit, dammit. They’re
a conservative old New England firm. My having no track record in
the industry is part of the reason they’ve dragged their feet on
this. I’ll have to woo them back.” He struck
you don't like Texas weather, wait three days and it’ll
change."
She laughed and went into the chickens’ pen.
“True. The ice will start melting later today, but it’ll only
refreeze tonight.”
“ So, tomorrow we should be able to get
away from this lovely ranch vacation, huh?” To what would he
return? Worry’s knife sliced through his gut.
“ Yes, at least by ten or eleven after
the sun melts the ice. And won’t we be sorry to see the last of
this barn?”
When Trent first became aware of Marvel, he’d
found a stagnant company, drained of its life and resources by
Walter Tucker and his voracious excesses that flirted with fraud.
Flirted? There was no other word for it but embezzlement. Trent
planned to revitalize the company with immediate action. He knew
only dramatic measures would save the firm and the jobs of those
who worked there.
He’d learned of Marvel from Grayson. How Joe
Bob Grayson knew of Trent, he had yet to discover. When Grayson
approached him, cautious excitement flooded Trent as his mind
exploded with possibilities. If not Grayson’s support, though, he
wouldn’t have attempted the purchase of a company whose operation
was unfamiliar and cash reserves diminished.
"Hey, Macleod." Holly nudged him with her egg
basket. "Are you going to admire the scenery until we both
freeze?"
He took the wire basket from her and his
other arm crushed her to him in a bearish embrace. "This should
warm you up." His lips claimed hers, firm at first then gentling to
explore her mouth. She molded against him and her arms slid under
his jacket.
When he broke the embrace, she stared up at
him. The cold air put a flush in her cheeks, but he took credit for
the hunger-glazed look in her luminous blue eyes. Lips the color of
crushed roses, slightly parted with her warm breath forming frost
in the air, tempted him.
An unprecedented burst of optimism hit him.
How could he fail this woman? He became a knight of old battling
the fiery dragon of commerce for his fair ladylove. Or, maybe the
pirate of his reputation slashing away at the chains pulling down
the sinking ship, Marvel.
He swooped up the container of eggs and
pulled Holly with him toward the house. The icy ground invited
caution where he welcomed reckless abandon. With a few near misses,
they reached the kitchen without falling.
Blue pushed by them and plopped onto his
blanket. Trent set the eggs on the counter and whirled Holly into
his arms. She laughed up at him before he lowered his mouth to
hers.
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted the
kiss. After so long a silence, the sound startled them apart.
Holly rushed to where she’d left her own
phone, flipped it on, and dialed her home. The answering machine
picked up so she left a brief message and disconnected. Before she
could punch the auto-dial for her grandparents, she glanced up. The
look on Trent’s face froze her in place.
“ Trent? What is it? Is the meeting
rescheduled?”
He closed the phone and slid it into his
pocket. Without answering he headed for the back door.
She rushed to head him off. “Trent? Please
answer me.”
He paused and she saw his shoulders heave
with a great breath. Slowly, he turned. The animated excitement of
a few minutes ago had changed to a pale stone mask.
“ That was Gordon. The Amberfield team
came. Gordon took them on a tour and gave them our pitch, but they
were pissed that I wasn’t there.”
“ Surely they understood that you can’t
control the weather. And Gordon’s the Executive VP, so they
shouldn’t feel slighted, for heaven’s sakes.” What was wrong with
her? For a moment she’d forgotten she didn’t want these people to
accept Trent’s offer.
“ They wouldn’t commit, dammit. They’re
a conservative old New England firm. My having no track record in
the industry is part of the reason they’ve dragged their feet on
this. I’ll have to woo them back.” He struck
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