Nathan get out of it?”
“Nothing,” Lance told her. He glanced at Tim, then lowered his voice. “There are untold depths to our Mr. King, sweetie.”
“That’s what they say about Antarctica, but those depths are chilly.”
“He’s not all darkly evil,” Lance said. “He gave you the money.”
“I know, I know.” She looked at Tim. “Want to chime in here and defend your boss?”
“No.”
“Tim is very tight-lipped about his work.” Lancewinked. “A loyal employee. The only kind our Mr. King hires.”
“You should call him Nathan,” Kerri said.
“Using his last name makes him all the more mysterious.”
“Because you like the guy?”
“Tim likes him,” Lance said. “I trust Tim.”
As Tim had been the one to come up with the idea of announcing the fifteen-million-dollar grant, Kerri liked him, too. But that didn’t mean she trusted his judgment when it came to Nathan.
“We should go,” Tim said.
“I’ll get Cody.”
Five minutes later, Linda was waving goodbye as they climbed into the waiting limo.
“I want details,” her friend called. “Take notes.”
“Promise.”
Cody maneuvered into the car. Kerri grabbed his crutches and followed him into the vehicle.
“Sweet ride,” her nine-year-old said with a grin as he slid onto the long bench on the side. “When I grow up, I want one of these to take me everywhere.”
“I thought you wanted a sports car that goes really fast.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Get both,” Lance said as he settled next to Kerri and closed the door.
“Yeah,” Cody breathed as he rubbed the leather seat. “I’ll get both.”
His words made Kerri’s chest tighten. Please, God, let him live long enough to make that decision, she thought, knowing that, without a miracle, odds were Cody wouldn’t see his twelfth birthday, let alone reach sixteen and learn to drive.
“We should buy a lottery ticket, Mom,” he told her. “If we won big, we could get one of these now.”
“And hire Tim.”
“Tim would never leave Nathan, but you could hire me,” Lance told her.
“It’s a deal.”
Cody looked at Lance. “Mr. King is, like, really rich, right?”
“We’re talking billions.”
“Cool.”
He’d come from nothing, Kerri thought, remembering her research on the man. He’d grown up in Bremerton, a navy town across the sound. He’d left for college and then had managed to amass an impressive fortune.
Maybe that’s what she’d done wrong, she thought humorously. She’d never graduated from college, and apparently beauty school didn’t count.
“Is the charity thing going to be boring?” Cody asked Lance.
“There are a lot of kids there, and games and the food is excellent,” Lance said. “You’ll have fun. There’s a huge arcade set up and all the games are free.”
“Yeah?”
Lance nodded, then turned his attention to Kerri. “I hate your lipstick. Do you have a different one?”
She dug in her purse and found two at the bottom. Lance studied them both, then handed her the pink one.
“Put this one on top.”
As she did, she looked at Cody, who rolled his eyes.
“Not your thing?” she asked with a grin.
He sighed heavily. “Does this limo have a TV?”
N ATHAN KEPT a mental list of people he tried to avoid. Carol Mansfield was one of them. She was the tall, thin ex-wife of a high-powered executive and a successful boutique owner in her own right. She was the right age and had the right pedigree—she should have been someone he wanted to date. But there was something about Carol that made him think of a bird of prey coming in for the kill.
“You don’t usually attend these sorts of things,” Carol said as she put her hand on his arm. “You’re more the send-a-check type. Not that it isn’t lovely to see you.”
“I think this is an important cause.”
“Children’s charities?” She raised her eyebrows. “How charmingly unexpected. Are you meeting someone?”
“What?”
“You keep looking
“Nothing,” Lance told her. He glanced at Tim, then lowered his voice. “There are untold depths to our Mr. King, sweetie.”
“That’s what they say about Antarctica, but those depths are chilly.”
“He’s not all darkly evil,” Lance said. “He gave you the money.”
“I know, I know.” She looked at Tim. “Want to chime in here and defend your boss?”
“No.”
“Tim is very tight-lipped about his work.” Lancewinked. “A loyal employee. The only kind our Mr. King hires.”
“You should call him Nathan,” Kerri said.
“Using his last name makes him all the more mysterious.”
“Because you like the guy?”
“Tim likes him,” Lance said. “I trust Tim.”
As Tim had been the one to come up with the idea of announcing the fifteen-million-dollar grant, Kerri liked him, too. But that didn’t mean she trusted his judgment when it came to Nathan.
“We should go,” Tim said.
“I’ll get Cody.”
Five minutes later, Linda was waving goodbye as they climbed into the waiting limo.
“I want details,” her friend called. “Take notes.”
“Promise.”
Cody maneuvered into the car. Kerri grabbed his crutches and followed him into the vehicle.
“Sweet ride,” her nine-year-old said with a grin as he slid onto the long bench on the side. “When I grow up, I want one of these to take me everywhere.”
“I thought you wanted a sports car that goes really fast.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Get both,” Lance said as he settled next to Kerri and closed the door.
“Yeah,” Cody breathed as he rubbed the leather seat. “I’ll get both.”
His words made Kerri’s chest tighten. Please, God, let him live long enough to make that decision, she thought, knowing that, without a miracle, odds were Cody wouldn’t see his twelfth birthday, let alone reach sixteen and learn to drive.
“We should buy a lottery ticket, Mom,” he told her. “If we won big, we could get one of these now.”
“And hire Tim.”
“Tim would never leave Nathan, but you could hire me,” Lance told her.
“It’s a deal.”
Cody looked at Lance. “Mr. King is, like, really rich, right?”
“We’re talking billions.”
“Cool.”
He’d come from nothing, Kerri thought, remembering her research on the man. He’d grown up in Bremerton, a navy town across the sound. He’d left for college and then had managed to amass an impressive fortune.
Maybe that’s what she’d done wrong, she thought humorously. She’d never graduated from college, and apparently beauty school didn’t count.
“Is the charity thing going to be boring?” Cody asked Lance.
“There are a lot of kids there, and games and the food is excellent,” Lance said. “You’ll have fun. There’s a huge arcade set up and all the games are free.”
“Yeah?”
Lance nodded, then turned his attention to Kerri. “I hate your lipstick. Do you have a different one?”
She dug in her purse and found two at the bottom. Lance studied them both, then handed her the pink one.
“Put this one on top.”
As she did, she looked at Cody, who rolled his eyes.
“Not your thing?” she asked with a grin.
He sighed heavily. “Does this limo have a TV?”
N ATHAN KEPT a mental list of people he tried to avoid. Carol Mansfield was one of them. She was the tall, thin ex-wife of a high-powered executive and a successful boutique owner in her own right. She was the right age and had the right pedigree—she should have been someone he wanted to date. But there was something about Carol that made him think of a bird of prey coming in for the kill.
“You don’t usually attend these sorts of things,” Carol said as she put her hand on his arm. “You’re more the send-a-check type. Not that it isn’t lovely to see you.”
“I think this is an important cause.”
“Children’s charities?” She raised her eyebrows. “How charmingly unexpected. Are you meeting someone?”
“What?”
“You keep looking
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