Read Online Mending Fences by Lucy Francis - Free Book Online Page B

in your voice. I thought retirement was supposed to bring unending days of sunshine and happiness. What’s wrong?”
    “Jamie, you have a herd of MBAs and analysts filling the second floor at headquarters.”
    “Yeah, so?”
    “Why do you need my input on acquiring Tandena? It’s a good company, perfectly viable for purchase, and I’m certain you knew that when you emailed me these files.”
    “I got some recommendations from the staff, yes, but Curran, you have a gift for this. Your hunches are better than the staff’s well-researched definitive answers.”
    Curran switched the phone to his right hand, leaned back, kicked his feet up on the desk. “Be straight with me, Jamie. You don’t need me, and we both know it.”
    After a moment, Jamie said, “Okay. I’m trying to keep you in the loop. After all, most of this is your money we’re spending, Mr. Controlling-Interest Stockholder, and if you stay abreast of what we’re doing over here, when you come back—”
    “Ah. So that’s it. When I retired, mate, I wasn’t fooling around. This isn’t like a Brett Favre retirement, where I’ll keep coming back in a blaze of glory. I’m done. I have other concerns, and I have every confidence in your ability to lead the company. That’s why I kept you from taking that piddling CFO job with Horizon.”
    Jamie laughed. “Quit pulling my chain, Curran. Everyone knows you won’t stay underground forever. Running things is in your blood, my friend. I send you stuff because I know damn well you’re going nuts not being on top of the heap. You want to oil the gears and turn the works every day, and don’t try telling me otherwise.”
    “I have family and the ranch to focus on now.”
    “Uh-huh. For how long? How long until that gorgeous sister of yours starts dating? What are you going to do when she marries again and moves away, Curran? Play rancher for the rest of your life?”
    “I love the ranch.”
    Jamie snorted. “Yeah, and I love drinking cerveza on the beach in Mexico, but I’m not going to make a life out of it. You know damn well this isn’t a permanent arrangement. The last two times I asked for your consultation, you acted like a kid on Christmas morning. So don’t tell me you plan to hang out in the Rockies, alone, for the rest… Oh. Oh, man. I get it. You’re not alone, are you? Some woman’s got you on her hook.”
    He pushed the thought of soft curls, softer skin, and long, long legs away. She was a siren, calling relentlessly, leaving him on the edge of spontaneous combustion. Nothing more. “Yeah, okay. Remember who you’re talking to, mate.”
    Jamie ignored him. “That’s why you don’t want to bother with office stuff. Awesome, I’m happy for you, bud. What’s her name?”
    “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.” Curran looked up from the pen he twirled in his left hand as Kelli walked into his office. “Buy Tandena. Here, talk to Kelli.”
    He handed the phone to her. She quirked an eyebrow at him until he said, “Jamie.”
    Her face lit up and she pushed him, urging him out of the office chair so she could sit. “Jamie? Hey, handsome, what happened to taking a vacation last month and coming to see us?”
    Curran closed the laptop then walked out of the office. He glanced at his watch. Quarter past five. Victoria would have just finished working for the day. He really ought to take her out. She’d never said anything about it, but most women wanted to be wined and dined with some frequency. At least the women he’d dated before insisted upon it. Of course, most of them wanted the exposure and the press.
    Victoria was a rather private person, but he doubted she’d mind going somewhere that gave her an excuse to dress up. Spending time together at his place or hers had to be getting old for her.
    He strode down the hall to his room. There was a time when being with a woman at home meant dinner and sex, not necessarily in that order. As much as it frustrated him