Wildest Hearts by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

the winner if you start feeling sorry for the loser.”
     
    “An interesting philosophy of life.” Annie pulled a package of aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, and some fresh plump tomatoes out of the grocery sacks. “Did you come up with it all by yourself?”
     
    “I'm sure I'm not the first man who ever thought of it.” Oliver poured red wine into two glasses.
     
    “Probably not.” Annie rummaged around in a drawer. “Where's the grater?”
     
    “I have no idea.”
     
    “Figures.” She opened another drawer and peered inside. “You leave all the grating to Bolt, right?”
     
    “Right.”
     
    “Ah-hah. Here it is.” She pulled out the flat stainless-steel grater and went to work on the cheddar cheese. “Where did you get him, anyway? From a factory?”
     
    “Bolt? He came to work for me about three years ago.”
     
    “Where did he work before you hired him?” Annie asked as she grated the cheese.
     
    “For a company that specialized in international security for large corporate clients.”
     
    Annie frowned. “What did he do?”
     
    “I believe his specialty was antiterrorism security arrangements. His expertise was in electronics.”
     
    “Like Daniel?”
     
    Oliver's brows rose. “Not quite. Your brother was, I beg your pardon, I mean your brotheris a genius with electronics, but he was never much good when it came to the basics of security.”
     
    “I resent that,” Annie said heatedly. “My brother is brilliant.”
     
    “Yes, I know. But not when it comes to security matters. He didn't really have an aptitude for it.”
     
    “He tracked down that gunrunner for you.”
     
    “Finding Gresham was an accident. Daniel stumbled across the evidence. He didn't go looking for it. Daniel was always too trusting for security work. He had a strong tendency to assume the best about people unless someone showed him evidence to the contrary.”
     
    “Okay, so my brother is not suspicious or paranoid by nature. Is that a crime?”
     
    “It's not a crime, but it can lead to some very serious mistakes in judgment,” Oliver said mildly. “Personally, I try to avoid those kinds of mistakes.”
     
    “No wonder you don't have a lot of friends,” Annie muttered under her breath.
     
    “What was that?”
     
    “Nothing. Tell me more about Bolt. Why did he quit his job with the international security firm?”
     
    “There was an incident,” Oliver said softly. “Innocent people were killed. It was not Bolt's fault, but he took the responsibility for it. He suffered what used to be politely called a nervous breakdown.” Oliver sipped his wine as he watched her grate the cheese. “By the time he recovered, he had lost his wife and his career.”
     
    “How awful,” Annie breathed. “Now I feel absolutely terrible for kicking him out of here. That poor man. He's been through so much, and I come along and treat him like a robot.”
     
    “You're too soft in some ways, Annie. Bolt will survive being kicked out of his kitchen.”
     
    Annie scowled at him. “You know something, Oliver? I've been thinking.”
     
    “About what?”
     
    “About your basic problem in life.”
     
    “I wasn't aware I had one.”
     
    “Well, you do.” Annie bore down on the cheddar cheese. “Your problem is that you can't be bothered with explaining yourself. Also you're a trifle insensitive. And you lack interpersonal communication skills. The end result is that you've acquired a reputation for being devious and mysterious and rather arrogant.”
     
    “Is that a problem?”
     
    “Yes, it is. Especially when you apply that approach to family matters.” Annie did not look at him as she set aside the cheese and picked up a tomato. “Take that little scene with Valerie, for example.”
     
    “Are you going to throw the tomato at me?”
     
    Annie glared. “She was in tears, Oliver.”
     
    “She'll recover.”
     
    “Will she?” Annie put the tomato down on the cutting board. “Look, I know