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Not that it mattered. Rebecca’s brother and her best friend, Stephanie, were doing good things in Peru. Stephanie’s blog was a record of how money and dedicated, passionate people could make amazing progress that would impact generations.
It would take some serious mismanagement to turn Rebecca and Stephanie away from HealthyAmericas. His gut said it wasn’t a problem.
“We’ll have a dinner party to send the lovebirds back to Lima. I’ll give them the check before they go.” Rebecca sighed happily. “By then, my new kitchen will be finished. And you’re coming.” The long pause indicated she was waiting for his answer.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Almost everyone he knew in Holly Heights was a part of Rebecca’s crowd, but there might be a few networking opportunities.
“You need to call your sister,” Rebecca said. “She’s making some big decisions. It would be nice if she had some advice.”
He’d tried that once. She’d ordered him to go shove his head in the lake. Loudly.
They’d always mixed like orange juice and toothpaste.
“I will call her. I promise.” But not today. Tomorrow, definitely.
“I’m going to hold you to that. Aunt Jen would like to know your Chloe.” She hung up and he wondered if this would be the way he and Jen communicated now that he was in town. Rebecca would get tired of being the middleman sooner or later.
And Chloe and Jen and Brenda—his stepmother—together were the reason he was taking this risk in the first place.
But his plate was pretty full at the moment.
First, he needed some leads on organizations Rebecca would love. Jen and Stephanie were mainly along for the ride.
“Who could I call to find out about local organizations? Somebody at the chamber of commerce?” He scrolled through his list of business contacts, saw the name of his leasing agent and decided that was a good place to start. Real estate agents should have plenty of inside information on all the businesses in town.
Before he could dial the number, he heard the front door open, thanks to the chime he’d had installed after his first secretary left him in the lurch. The how-to binder had been much smaller then. He’d learned a lot from that three-week stretch.
Had Chloe even tried to follow his orders?
He put the phone down and rolled the chair back, ready to either lecture his daughter on safety or explain to his visitor that he wasn’t seeing clients that morning, but he’d be happy to make an appointment, when he heard a dog bark.
Inside his office. There was a dog inside his office.
He hurried around his desk and paused in the doorway to the reception area. His ears hadn’t deceived him. There, standing on the rug he’d bought because it matched the room’s tone of somber wealth, was...a dog. Big. Brown. Hairy. And happy, if the lolling tongue could be construed as an emotional display. The dog barked again and the woman—who had absolutely no hope of stopping it if the creature decided to make a break for it—shushed him. “Bub, be quiet. Use your inside manners.”
“Or better yet, take whatever manners you do or don’t have right back outside and away from the very expensive furnishings.” As soon as Will spoke, the woman and the dog both turned to stare at him. And both of them made it pretty clear what they thought of his directive.
The dog sat. The woman propped one hand on her hip. Will waited.
“Bub is well-trained, an obedience school graduate.” She ran a hand over the dog’s head, and Will was pretty sure he saw the dog wink.
Of course the dog didn’t wink. They didn’t teach winking in obedience school.
Did they?
Will shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. This is a place of business, so unless he’s a service animal, please take him out.”
“You were chased by a dog as a child, weren’t you?” the woman asked. Then Will realized who was invading his office with a canine in tow as if she had every right to do so. Sarah Hillman, homecoming queen and queen of mean to every outcast at Holly Heights High. He should’ve known—his junior year he’d developed a sixth sense to warn him when she was in the vicinity. Obviously, if he didn’t use his Hillman radar for more than a decade, he lost it.
“I’m not accepting any new clients at this point,” he said. Not even if she was the daughter of the richest man in town and he could use the business. Will walked a wide circle around the dog, who hadn’t moved a single inch, and held the door open for them. “And I’m too busy to make small talk.”
Sarah put her hand on the dog’s head and looked down at him for a minute. Will was pretty sure he was going to win this encounter. It was a weird feeling. At seventeen, he’d been happy to escape her notice. Now he wanted her to look right at him while she digested that bit of information.
Then she straightened her shoulders, smoothed the skirt of her red dress and shifted in the sky-high heels that made her legs look as if they belonged on the silver screen. The brands weren’t important. If Sarah Hillman was wearing it, it was expensive. And now that Will wasn’t afraid of social suicide, he could see the way her face changed when she was about to hit him with the full force of her personality.
Her red lips curved up and she tilted her chin. He watched her lick her lips and run a red nail around the curved neck of her dress. “Come on, Will, won’t you even give me a chance to tell you how much I need your help?”
For a split second, he imagined he knew what the snake charmer felt when he stared into the beady eyes of a cobra. Except her eyes were a beautiful, warm brown. That probably made her twice as dangerous. Then he realized the unfamiliar feeling warming him from the inside was pleasure that she’d remembered his real name.
He shook his head and looked out the door. The dog stood up and peeked around the door frame as if to check on whatever Will was watching and then sat back down.
“Don’t you remember me? We went to high school together.” She reached over to tug on his sleeve. “You have time for an old friend, surely.”
Instead of jerking his arm away, Will snorted. That wasn’t the most elegant or dignified answer, but it was honest. And it surprised her. Another win.
“Sarah Hillman. I remember. What surprises me is that you can recall my real name. Beanpole Barnes would roll more naturally off your tongue.” She laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world and unbelievably Will wanted to laugh along with her. In high school, the nickname had been an embarrassing insult, but no one would think to use it now.
“I thought you’d go with Barn-door Barnes from that time you spent most of lunch with your zip...”
“Why are you still here?” Will asked. This walk down memory lane had already gone on for too long.
“We were kids. That’s what kids do.” She walked her fingers up his sleeve. “You’re no beanpole now. Time’s been good to you, Will Barnes.”
“Yeah, my sister’s doing pretty well, too. Maybe you remember her? Red hair? Lots of freckles? Cried more than once when you pointed them out?” He crossed his arms over his chest and the office was silent except for the chime of the door closing. “Raggedy Jen. Was that because of the red hair or her secondhand clothes, too?”
Sarah blinked and the calculations taking place in her brain showed in narrowed eyes and tightened lips. Then she ducked her head, folded her hands in front of her and said, “That was all in fun. You’ve got ten minutes. For me?” She stuck out her lower lip as she looked up at him.
“No.” The dog drooped to rest his chin on Will’s polished loafers. Two pairs of puppy dog eyes were nearly impossible to withstand. The second no was harder to get out, but he managed. Then he stepped around the dog. “Please leave.”
Will walked back into his office and closed the door firmly. He didn’t have to worry about Sarah Hillman running off with his carefully chosen knickknacks. He’d been trying to give the impression of good taste and old money. She had the old money.
He pressed his ear against the door to listen for the chime that would signal her defeat and retreat. Instead, he could hear angry muttering. He wanted to crack open the door to see her disappointment in living color but didn’t want to restart the conversation.
And he had work to do. Will had to admit, Sarah Hillman could probably help with that... Holly Heights was filled with signs saying Sponsored by Hillman Luxury Autos. Little League teams, the local stadium, the Fourth of July fireworks displays and every Christmas parade had been funded by Bobby Hillman. She’d be able to come up with a list of contacts.
But Will would go door-to-door through every street in the downtown area begging for recommendations before he asked for her help.
With a firm nod, he moved back around his desk and reached for his phone. Before he could dial the numbers, Sarah Hillman shoved open his door and followed her dog into his office.
His clean, orderly office now had a dog in it. And a beautiful brunette who was no longer begging in an attractive, manipulative sort of way. Now she was determined.
“Listen, I’m sure keeping track of Daddy’s money is exhausting, but I will not help you. Head over to Austin. There are lots of choices for portfolio management and you can add in lunch and a shopping trip. I’m sure there have to be spas somewhere.”
Instead of carefully considering the right face to try, Sarah marched over and planted her hand in the middle of his shiny desk.
“Don’t be that guy, Will. You have a chance to be the bigger person. Come on. Don’t you want to feel superior to me?” Nothing about her said she was faking or flirting or manipulating.
“If I wanted to feel superior, I wouldn’t have to try hard, Sarah.” Instead of the satisfaction he’d expected to feel at finally winning a verbal sparring match with her, he was almost instantly sorry for what he’d said, even if it was a pretty good last word.
“Well. You have done some growing up, haven’t you? Learned how to throw a punch.” She eased back. “Make sure you don’t go too far, kicking a girl when she’s down. Might make you a bully.”
He snorted. Again. He’d need to get a better handle on reactions like that.
“I’m sure you’re amazed that something isn’t going your way, but let’s call it my gift to humanity. You can take your dog and go. And I’ll get back to work.” He pointed at the computer. “You know what these are for, right?”
She pushed her shoulders back and propped a hand on her hip, using her curves and crazy-long legs to her advantage. It almost worked.
“Don’t bother. I can see through the manipulation now. That’s the gift of your high school education.”
Instead of turning away to stare at his computer screen as he wanted to, he watched her hands tighten into fists. “Fine. I heard about the lottery win and whoever is answering Rebecca’s phone refuses to let me talk to her. On the last call, they told me to come to you with any requests, so here I am. Could you please give me ten minutes to make a case for an appointment with Rebecca?”
“So, what? You want Rebecca to float you a loan until Daddy’s allowance arrives?” He swept a glance from the top of her shiny hair to the ridiculous shoes. “Doesn’t look like you need handouts.”
His inner nice guy was telling him he had ten minutes. That was the easiest way to get her out of his hair, pretend to listen.
Sarah ran her hand over Bub’s head. “No, but these guys do. Ten minutes, Will.”
Bub stretched forward to rest his chin on Will’s formerly spotless desk and sighed. Sarah had given up on manipulation to go for honesty, but Bub’s skill was impressive.
Will knew he was making a mistake, but sometimes mistakes were inevitable. “The clock is ticking. Make your case.”
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_e9e0b790-621b-5033-a8e5-17ee8482c4ba)
SARAH COULD SEE the no on his face. Beanpole Barnes—Will—had grown into an attractive man. His starched dress shirt, silk tie and perfectly pressed slacks made it easy to believe he could be trusted with a fortune.
She couldn’t imagine what he thought of her own outfit. Only desperation could have convinced her to put on the best dress she had left, even if it was years out of fashion, to face someone who’d be happy to shoot her down while she held her hand out for money.
Begging. The sour taste in her mouth made it difficult to maintain her pageant smile.
But she had to do something or the animal shelter she’d funded for the past year would close, leaving innocent dogs and cats without a safe place.
Sarah could relate. As of this week, she’d moved her own suitcase into the shelter office.
The police had torn up her father’s house looking for evidence of embezzlement. Since she’d answered phones at Hillman Luxury Autos for years, and had seen no shady dealings, she knew they’d come up empty-handed.
But sneaking her father in—or herself out—while under the police’s watchful eye would be difficult. Until the Austin detective making her life miserable tracked her to the shelter, she had some breathing room.
And no one would care if the shelter was her home for a few days. After her father skipped town, the shelter’s manager had walked off the job. Donations had stopped. So had her paycheck and the payments her father made on her condo in the city.
Before long, her father would come for her, explain the misunderstanding, and her life would go back to normal, even if the new normal was a country with sandy beaches and no extradition. Sarah wanted him to be innocent and did her best to believe it. The longer her trials lasted, the harder it was to hold on to that dream.
The eviction notice had been a wake-up call. It had clarified how quickly her situation was deteriorating.
“Thank you for your time.” Sarah sat in the leather chair across the desk from Will.
She rubbed Bub’s silky ear for encouragement. But Will had frowned at the adorable stray, a dog she’d roped in at the last minute to seal the deal. If Will Barnes wasn’t an animal lover, her job had gotten much more difficult, but if he was hard-hearted enough to withstand Bub’s tricks, she was doomed.
The shelter was broke and closed to new animals.
Will checked his watch. “Five minutes. Go.”
Okay, she could do this. “Paws for Love is a no-kill shelter that I started supporting a little over a year ago. Now that... Well, as head of the organization, I’ve committed to raising funds for the shelter’s improvement, but it’s not easy.”
“Could be something to do with your beautiful personality,” Will muttered.
The idea that this man, who’d been one of the gangliest math nerds to ever come out of Holly Heights, could hurt her, even if he was speaking the truth, was almost unbelievable. But this was what her life had come to: begging for help from people who’d much rather enjoy her misfortune.
How could people hold her past actions against her when she was trying to do something good?
“Since the funding has stopped, the shelter manager disappeared. I’m doing my best with the volunteers to keep the doors open, but Paws needs investment and soon.” She almost told him about the overdue bills but decided that might smack of poor management to numbers-man Will.
Without fast cash, she wouldn’t be able to afford the basics—food and electricity. Even the local vets who’d been donating time and services would pull their support if she couldn’t keep the lights on. Juggling the bills had become her latest obsession.
“How much?” Will asked as he stared over his shoulder at his computer. Apparently, even five minutes of undivided attention was asking too much.
“A lot. Anything would help. I’ve got an event planned for next month, so if I could get enough to pay the bills for this month and next, I’ll have more options.” For reassurance, she scratched the spot right above Bub’s tail and listened to his tail thump the floor. His happy sigh bolstered her resolve.
“What happened to the other donors?” Will leaned back in his chair, one elbow braced against the armrest. If he was distracted before, his focus now was intense.
“They are...unhappy with my involvement. Some of my father’s business decisions aren’t popular.” There. She’d tiptoed around the truth.
Will raised an eyebrow and waited. The silence between them stretched until Bub shifted to sniff under Will’s desk, breaking Will’s concentration and giving her a chance to breathe.
“You know you’ll need something more concrete than ‘a lot’ to convince me to spend any of Rebecca’s valuable time. Budgets for this year and next, salaries, staffing, capital improvements needed, the percentage of the donation that could go to overhead versus the animals. You aren’t ready for fund-raising. Come back when you are.” He didn’t shy away but met her stare head-on.
“And you’ll refuse to see me then, too.” Sarah shook her head. “I’m surprised, Will.”
“I’m not. Of course you thought you could walk in here and everything would be forgotten because you wore your prettiest dress and red lipstick. That’s the Sarah I remember.” He braced both hands on the chair’s armrests, prepared to...defend himself? Battle? She wasn’t sure.
“Another thing hasn’t changed. I always get my way.” She eased back. “Bub and I are going to stay right here until you agree to at least visit the shelter. I’ll jump through your hoops, but I want you to see what we’re doing when I get my proposal done. Come to the shelter or Bub is staying put.” She tapped her fingers on the arms of the chair. “And you do not want to know how long it’s been since he’s had his walk. He’s a big, thirsty dog. Could have a mess pretty soon.”
She surveyed his office. “Walnut bookcases polished to a high sheen. Leather furniture.” She squinted at the lower shelves. “Are those first editions down there? Bub really likes books.” Was that true? Who knew? Bub played his part like a master, ambling over to nose around the bottom of the bookcase.
Will straightened in his chair, both hands held out as if he were about to spring into action. Would he carry Bub out himself or use his body as a shield to protect his belongings?
“Fine. I’ll come out to see the place, but that’s as far as I’m taking this. If you don’t leave right now and take your dog with you, I’m going to call the police.”
Sarah couldn’t help the pout that had gotten her through a lot of harder discussions. “Aw, you don’t want to do that. Wouldn’t look good for your business to toss people out, would it? And Bub can howl on command.” She’d grab some treats and teach him to tonight, just in case. She held out her hand and the dog moved to stand by her side.
“Don’t expect me to change my mind. I won’t waste my client’s time on any business that’s so poorly run it’s about to close.” He tilted his head. “And when she finds out it’s you asking, I’m pretty sure she’ll thank me for running interference.”
“I was never mean to Rebecca. What’s she got against me?” The waver in her voice was an unwelcome surprise. The shelter’s survival depended on Rebecca, her cash and her friendly disposition. If Rebecca was an enemy, too, where could she go for help?
Sarah wished she could take the question back. Showing weakness would never do.
Bulletproof. That’s the only way to live in this town. Remember.
“My stepsister Jen’s one of her best friends. We talked about her already, didn’t we? Jennifer Neil. Tall, thin...good with numbers, like me. Hit the lottery. Maybe her last name threw you off.” He raised an eyebrow. “Ring any bells?”
