Read Online California Girl by Sandra Edwards - Free Book Online Page B

room reflected her mood, somber and shadowed. “I feel like I’ve signed away my firstborn.”
    Gail sighed. “You’re the one who gave birth to this baby. Even though I’m just the foster mother, I feel bad.”
    “When you bought in, you became an equal partner,” Mary Beth said. “You love this business as much as I do.”
    “And it’s just as heart-wrenching to lose it.” Gail tucked a blonde curl behind her ear.
    Mary Beth leaned her head back on the cushioned chair and closed her eyes. “At least we still own a small portion and we’ve got creative license.”
    “Sackett Industries was surprisingly fair,” Gail said.
    “They know better than to change a winning recipe.” Mary Beth sat up and looked at Gail, sitting opposite her. “A year ago we were the new darlings on the block, with more business than we could handle, and now we don’t even have controlling interest in our own company. How did we let this happen?”
    “Maybe we got too sure of ourselves,” Gail said. “We ignored those ‘flash and dash’ caterers when they breezed in with their glitzy Philadelphia style and edge.”
    “Their food is terrible,” Mary Beth said. “Remember the roast beef at the Larson wedding? Ugh. And they use canned mushrooms. Here, so close to where they grow the best mushrooms in the country. But people don’t seem to notice.”
    “Because they’re fooled by the pretty wrappings. Some people would rave over cardboard if it were wrapped fancy. Now with Sackett’s money and influence, we can give them glitter too. Only we have substance behind our packaging.”
    “Sackett,” Mary Beth said in a low voice. Tom. Appealing. Dangerous. Her boss.
    She tightened her jaw. “This is only a temporary situation. As soon as we can, we’ll buy back our business. I will not be dependent on any man, especially Tom Sackett.”
    Gail put up a hand. “Don’t bite off my head. Since I’ve known you, you’ve had this thing about making your own way. You’ve scared off a lot of good men with your stubborn self-reliance. Maybe you should loosen up a little.”
    “Never. Besides, I wouldn’t want a man I could intimidate.”
    Gail’s mouth quirked into a grin. “Maybe you’ve met your match.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Tom. He impressed me in the meeting. He’s strong, forceful, a take-charge kind of guy. And he’s fair. I like him.”
    Mary Beth narrowed her eyes at Gail. “I told you what he did to me. He’s not the paragon of virtue you think.”
    “He was eighteen. People grow up.”
    “What would Pete say if he knew how outrageously you flirted with Tom?”
    “Pete knows I love him. And I wasn’t flirting. I was just responding to a delicious hunk with a killer smile.”
    A small kernel of jealousy opened in Mary Beth. So what if Gail found Tom attractive? She didn’t care what other women thought of him. She didn’t care about him in any way, except what he could do for her business.
    “And you, my dear, sprouted green horns,” Gail said with a laugh.
    “What?” Mary Beth bolted upright.
    “Don’t act the innocent with me.” Gail’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “I wasn’t in the room two minutes when you asked about Joey. You wanted to be sure Tom knew I was married, and therefore unavailable.” With a smug look on her face, she crossed her arms.
    “Joey is my godson. I’m concerned about him. And you brought up the subject of your husband.”
    “I know you care about Joey,” Gail said. “But the way you blurted it out was a little obvious, although I don’t think Tom noticed. Men are clueless about those things.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mary Beth shifted uncomfortably, wishing she could ignore the inner voice that screamed her friend was right.
    Unable to sit still, Mary Beth jumped from the chair and stalked to the window. The truth of Gail’s words was hard to digest.
    She rubbed her forehead as if she could erase the confusion tumbling around