скачать книгу бесплатно
“Not really,” Helen said. “In fact, the bottom line these past few years has been decidedly bleak.”
Evan frowned. “How bleak?”
“Bleak enough that the porn scandal on the Web site was enough to push us firmly into the red.”
Jack had e-mailed him—when was it? A month ago? Two?—indicating that the family should get more involved in the business, but Evan had assumed it was just a ploy to get him back into the fold. He’d never imagined that his father had actually dropped the ball and sent the business hurtling toward bankruptcy.
Still, what could Evan do? The only job he’d ever had was running a little beachfront bar in Majorca. And even that could hardly be considered work.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, honestly.” Evan shrugged. “But if you’re looking to bring the business back to life, you’re looking at the wrong guy. I’m not much of a corporate type. It’s not just that I don’t want to help, it’s that I honestly don’t have anything to offer.”
“Maybe not, but you’re a risk taker, from what your father told me. And I can tell you’re an honest man. He told me that, too. Hanson Media needs that right now.”
That stopped Evan. “My father told you that?” He gave a wry smile. “You do know my father was George Hanson, right?”
“He was more fond of you than you know,” Helen said, and she sounded as though she really believed it. “He talked about you quite a lot. Said you’d left when you were young and that you’d been living overseas all this time.”
“He told you that.”
She nodded. “You know, he thought you’d be back. For years he thought you’d come crawling back asking for money, and when you didn’t he was secretly impressed.”
Evan was embarrassed at the small lump that formed in his throat. He wanted to believe this, even while he still loathed the man and what he’d done to Evan. He wanted, if only for his own peace of mind, to believe that his father hadn’t been so detached that he’d just completely forgotten him. “Not so impressed that he ever tried to contact me.”
“No.” A distant look came into her eyes, and she shook her head. “But you know as well as I do that the fact that he didn’t contact you had nothing to do with the amount of pride or lack of pride he felt in you. It was all about his own pride. Everything was about his pride,” she added softly.
Evan looked at his father’s wife with new eyes. Most women in her position would have been content to let the whole family dissolve so they could regain the money and power for themselves, but Helen was actually reaching out to them.
Now he was left with a choice. He’d already stood here for five minutes talking to her. Five minutes were chipped away from his intended release from the Hanson family. Now he was actually considering Helen’s plea for him to stay, and he wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
“Look, Helen, what’s the upshot here? Give me the bottom line. What exactly are you asking me to do?”
She took a short, bracing breath. “Okay, direct and to the point. I can do that.” She met his eyes. “The company is down but it’s not out yet. For many reasons I want to fix that. My reasons don’t matter that much to you, because you must surely have your own reasons for wanting to stay. It’s your legacy. If you have children someday, it’s their legacy. The time to fix it is now, and I’ve got a plan. If it doesn’t work—” she shrugged “—at least you can’t say you didn’t try.”
“And what do you propose a guy like me, a guy with no business experience whatsoever, should do within this corporation in order to up the revenues?”
“That’s easy,” Helen replied quickly. “You’re smart. A guy with a social conscience and definitely a world view. And, not least, you are a Hanson.”
He listened, unable to agree with her for fear of what he’d find himself committing to.
“So what I propose is that you take over the radio division of Hanson Media Group.”
He gave a shout of laughter before he realized she was serious.
“The radio division,” he repeated, visions of Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern dancing in his head. “Me.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She nodded, her green gaze steady on him. “I think you’d be perfect.”
“You do know I have no experience in that area whatsoever.” He gave another laugh. He couldn’t help it. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“Given the recent scandal, I think your lack of experience might, in fact, be a plus.” She smiled, but there was pleading in her eyes. “I’m only asking you to stay on for three months or so. Just to give it a try. What do you say, Evan? Will you do it? Please.”
He thought about it. Majorca would still be there in three months. So would St. Bart’s, Fiji or anywhere else he wanted to go. When he’d sold the beachfront bar, he’d made quite a tidy profit. His father would have been surprised to learn that his “beach bum” son was smart enough to invest his earnings.
In any event, he could afford—at least in the monetary sense—to stick around for a little while and see what happened.
The question was, could he afford the mental toll it would undoubtedly take on him to stay?
Suddenly the words of his uncle, David Hanson, came back to him. David had been trying to convince Evan to come back and mend fences with his father several months ago, before it was too late.
Think about it, Evan, David had said. You don’t need to do this for George. You need to do it for yourself.
Those were the words that had brought Evan back, even though he’d arrived too late. They were the words that had rung in his mind when he’d contemplated seeing his siblings again. Who knew where life would take them eventually? Right now they were all here, working together toward a common goal, and he had the opportunity to help with that.
Granted, failure was possible. All he could do was his own personal best. If someone couldn’t accept him or forgive him, he didn’t have to carry it.
“Okay,” he heard himself saying to Helen, despite the fact that it went against every instinct he felt in his gut. Instinct that told him to run like hell and never look back. “I’ll do it.”
Chapter Two
“What I’m looking for is someone to work in advertising and public relations under my brother-in-law,” Helen Hanson was saying to the young brunette woman before her.
Meredith Waters sat uncomfortably in the plush chair opposite Helen’s sleek, modern desk, wondering if it was appropriate or wildly inappropriate to mention her history with the Hanson family before this job interview with Hanson Media went any further.
She never thought she’d set foot in the company George Hanson had built. Not after what he’d done to her family.
“I think you’ll agree, the benefits are generous,” Helen went on, handing a folder across the desk to Meredith. Her hand was delicate and smooth, her manicure perfect. Helen Hanson was perfectly turned out.
Meredith glanced at the folder, so it at least looked as if she was interested. Medical, dental, two weeks’ vacation time, two weeks’ personal time … yes, the terms were extremely generous. A person would have to be a fool to turn this down.
Of course, Meredith would have taken the job no matter what, even if it had paid minimum wage and offered the single benefit of a half hour’s lunch once a week. Pretending to hesitate was just that—pretending.
It was all a game.
She just hoped she could play it without anyone finding out.
“I’d like to think about it,” Meredith lied. She didn’t need to think about it. She was ready to start now. “Could I take a day or two and get back to you?”
Helen looked uncertain. “I’d really like to fill the position as soon as possible. As you’re undoubtedly aware, I’ve only just come back myself.” She gestured at some of the packed boxes that were piled in the corner. “Plus, we have a major scandal we’re still trying to clean up, and there’s a lot of work to do. If you’re unsure of your interest, that’s fine, but please understand I’ll have to keep interviewing.”
Clearly, Helen was a master at this game.
Meredith tipped her head slightly. “You sure know how to make an offer a person can’t refuse.”
“Does that mean you accept my offer?”
“Yes.” Meredith smiled and held her hand out. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mrs. Hanson.”
“Helen, please.” Helen shook her hand, looking delighted. “I’m so glad to have you on board, Meredith. Now, you’ll be working under my brother-in-law, David Hanson, in the PR department, but I’d like you to focus special attention on the radio division that’s now being run by my late husband’s son, Evan Hanson.”
Whoa! This was not the plan.
“I’m sorry, did you say Evan Hanson?” Meredith asked, feeling as though Helen had just punched her in the stomach.
Helen nodded absently, taking a narrow silver pen out of her drawer. “Mmm-hmm. My middle stepson, Evan.”
Meredith cleared her throat. “Forgive my saying so—perhaps the newspapers were wrong—but it was my understanding that Evan Hanson had shunned the family business and moved away. A long time ago.” Twelve years, if memory served correctly.
Helen jotted a note on a pad next to her and returned her attention to Meredith. “Yes, he was. But he’s back now, working with all of us to make Hanson Media the most successful business it can be.” She raised an eyebrow at Meredith. “That’s not a problem, is it?”
“N-no. I’m just not sure I understand.” Meredith had to back off. She didn’t want to look as if a person in the company could be her Achilles’ heel. “You want me to concentrate my efforts entirely on one division rather than the whole company?” This wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she took this job.
But now she was already committed.
“It should be an exciting challenge,” Helen said, hopefully unaware of the tension that was building in Meredith. “I think you’ll enjoy it. Yes, there will be some initial difficulties, perhaps, but once you and Evan start working together, everything should work out just fine. I have a feeling about it.”
What was she, psychic? Did she know something more than she’d revealed in the interview?
“I have to say, I’m not used to dealing with radio,” Meredith hedged, feeling a little frantic and trying to keep it out of her voice. “You might do better to have me learn the ropes there part-time while I’m also working other areas.”
“Don’t worry,” Helen said lightly. “Evan’s not used to doing anything with radio. I think, in this case, it will serve you well. Bob Smith had years of experience, but he couldn’t make a viable go of that division. So now it’s a blank canvas for you and the rest of the team to paint whatever future you want.”
Normally that would be a very appealing offer. Not this time, though. “Still, it’s hard to get by without any experience. I might be more of a detriment than an asset to a division I know nothing about.”
Helen was clearly unconcerned. “You and Evan will both have a very strong support staff under you, but I think this inexperience you’re concerned about is exactly the thing that’s going to help you think outside the box. Both of you.”
Meredith swallowed, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away. Nerves. She’d always had trouble with them. “Okay, Mrs.—Helen. Okay, Helen.” She didn’t want to do it, but she had no way out. “I’ll give it my best shot.”
Helen smiled broadly, revealing even white teeth and the kind of looks usually reserved for the covers of magazines. “Great, Meredith! I’m so glad to have you with us. I just know you’re going to do a terrific job.”
“Thanks very much. I’m thrilled to take it on.” In truth, Meredith wished she shared even half of Helen Hanson’s enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, all she felt now was a lot of insecurity about her job performance … and that was something she was definitely not used to struggling with.
It wasn’t just the job parameters: she knew how to do her work, regardless of the details. All of that had been laid out quite clearly for her, and she was comfortable in the knowledge that she could do it, and do it well.
What worried her was doing her job well when she had to do it so close to the man who’d dumped her without a backward glance.
Helen told Evan she’d hired someone new for the PR department, someone who would concentrate their efforts on promoting the new face of Hanson Broadcasting. He was glad of that, because, with the support of the previously existing staff, he’d managed to contact three notorious on-air talents, two of whom had already signed on, but he was at a complete loss about what to do to promote them.
That was where the PR department came in. They were, after all, the professionals. Radio should be easy for them. A contest here, a print ad there, that should do it. Radio was free; it sold itself. Evan’s meeting with David’s underling should only be informative, involving the plans they already had for promotion of the radio division.
At least, that was what Evan thought. Until David’s underling actually appeared at his office for their one o’clock appointment.
Meredith Waters.
Gleaming chestnut hair, with tinges of red that shone like copper in the sunlight; pale Irish skin that she’d inherited from her mother; green eyes; and a wide, generous mouth. Evan had never seen a smile so bright that could turn, in an instant, to a heart-aching sensuous curve that would drive any man to distraction.
He would have recognized her anywhere, anytime, even though he hadn’t seen her in … well, twelve and a half years. It was marked indelibly in his mind since it was the night he’d left the United States.
The night of their senior prom.
He hadn’t actually made it to the prom, of course, which was one of the reasons this meeting now was so … awkward.
The last time he’d seen Meredith Waters, it had been through her bedroom window as she’d sat in front of her vanity mirror, putting the final touches on her makeup and hair for a prom date that wasn’t going to show up.
Evan.
The image had haunted him ever since. Meredith, in a thin-strapped deep-blue dress, her pale shoulders creamy and tempting. He could feel the curve of them in his empty hands.
Even then, but certainly now, he recognized what a sweet, innocent beauty she was. Hers had been a difficult life, with a lot of hard knocks, despite her best efforts. Her parents, too, had suffered at the hands of fate, and, unfortunately, at the hands of George Hanson, even though they were good people who deserved better.
Evan thought she’d do better without him around.
Apparently, it hadn’t turned out that way. And by the time he knew what had happened, it was far too late for him to come back and make things better.
He wished he’d had the advantage of wisdom then that he had now.
Instead of rising to the occasion, he’d left. It was soon after his mother had died, and the rawness of that loss probably contributed to his confusion. No one to run interference for him. No one to offer even an iota of warmth to the house that had never entirely felt like home.
Evan knew if he’d stayed he would have gotten as bitter and mean as the old man—they were so much alike in other ways it was practically a shoo-in—so rather than doing that to Meredith and himself, he’d just moved on.
Until this moment he hadn’t stopped to regret his decision.
“Hello, Evan,” she said, her voice smooth and modulated. It was familiar but, at the same time, unfamiliar. “It’s been a long time.”
He was as paralyzed with surprise—no, shock—as he would be if he’d been looking at a ghost. In a way, in fact, he felt like he was. He felt like he should say something profound, but only one word came to mind.
“Meredith?”
She nodded, but no smile touched that beautiful mouth. “You recognize me.”
“Of course I recognize you. You look.” Beautiful. Stunning.
Haunting.
“You look the same as you always did.” But she didn’t. She didn’t look the same at all. She looked like a sleek, sophisticated version of her old self.
This was awkward. Really awkward.
But Evan still didn’t know what to say. Unfortunately the momentary uncomfortable pauses weren’t buying him enough time to come up with something pithy.
She smiled. And for just a moment, he could see the high-school girl inside the woman.
“Clearly you weren’t expecting to see me.” There wasn’t a trace of self-consciousness in her voice. “I was hoping Ms. Hanson would have let you know I was coming.”
This wasn’t making any sense. “Ms. Hanson?”
“Yes, Helen Hanson.” Meredith nodded. “She just hired me in PR and has asked me to assist you in promoting this division.”
