SNOWFIRES (21 page)

“
I’m a person, Grandpa, a
businesswoman. I have a degree and years of experience that qualify
me for my job. How can you treat me as some simple-minded,
air-headed wallflower who has to be protected from facts or who
can’t understand them?”

“
Now, Holly, you’re getting awful upset
over this. Calm down and see it from my side. I started this
company and I have a right to do whatever I think is best for it.
In a way I started you, too, and I have the right to do what I
think is best for you. If the same thing works for both, then
where’s the harm?”

There was no answer. None.

Over and over when her father or friends had
let her down, she had counted on her Grayson grandparents as the
two people in the world she could always depend on. In their own
misguided way these two people loved her more than anyone
else—except maybe her mom. They’d given her all they could—besides
their love they’d given her this very home, a car, clothes,
anything they thought she needed or even wanted.

Grandpa had deceived her. But she had to face
the facts about her grandfather. Nothing she could say would make
this chauvinistic dinosaur understand how he betrayed her. It would
only offend or hurt Grandpa and upset Nana. And why hurt either of
her grandparents? They wouldn’t change. Probably couldn’t change.
Why fight battles she couldn’t win?

She threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine. I’ll
run up and get my coat and we can go eat. You pick the place.”

Holly wondered if Trent was in on this
conspiracy? Was he aware he’d been hand picked for her? Was she
part of the deal between him and Grandpa?

As she climbed the stairs she heard her
grandfather’s stage whisper. “Whew. Must be her time of the
month.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Holly’s
grandparents decided to stay over for a few days and visit
with friends and shop. She let them amuse themselves and threw
herself into work. Visions of Trent in and out of his borrowed tux
threatened her concentration, but she pushed her lustful thoughts
aside.

She’d been in negotiations with Marvel’s
insurance carrier and they’d dragged until this week. At a staff
meeting on Wednesday, called especially for this purpose, she
fought to get the plan she wanted approved without an increase in
employee premiums.

Vernon opposed her. “Listen, I don’t want to
pay an increase any more than the next person, but this means the
company has to fork over money instead. It’s not there.”

To her surprise, Trent came to her defense.
“It will be. We can’t give the employees a raise and then take it
away by raising health care deductions.”

The rest of the officers argued and the
meeting dragged on for an over an hour. Finally, Trent rapped on
the table.

“
We’ve seen the figures and the
projections for the company. Talking it to death won’t change the
charts. We’ll take a vote now.”

Vernon wouldn’t look at Holly when he voted
no. In fact, he hadn’t spoken to her privately since she’d been in
his office on Monday. She supposed his incorrect assumptions
embarrassed him. The knowledge he’d thought her party to her
father’s misdeeds still upset her.

Her package passed by one vote.

Lila called Trent out as the meeting ended.
Holly had wanted to talk to him alone and his departure deflated
her hope of stolen kisses and his embrace. She hid her
disappointment and thanked each person who’d voted for the
benefits. Sara helped her gather up their charts and extra papers.
They walked back to Holly’s office and she saw Trent rush for the
elevator.

They hadn’t made love since Saturday night at
Trent’s apartment after the ball. With Geneva and the girls gone,
and as soon as her grandparents left, Trent could stay the night
with her if he chose. If she chose.

And she did. The new sense of freedom
exhilarated her. On her own, answering to no one but herself. As
soon as she got home, she would move her things into the master
bedroom. She pictured herself entwined with Trent on the king-sized
bed. Heat rushed through her with such force her charts spiraled to
the floor.

Sara shot her a puzzled look and stopped to
help her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not acting like
yourself lately.”

Holly couldn’t stop the giggle that burst
from her. “On the contrary. I think this might finally be the real
me.”

***

On the day of his big meeting with
Amberfield, Trent unbuttoned his jacket and dropped the morning
newspapers on his desk before he started the coffeemaker. He was in
early even for him, ready to dazzle George Denton and his cohorts
from Amberfield. Trent had slept poorly. His dreams last night had
alternated between hot dreams of Holly and nightmares about the
loss of the Amberfield contract.

Damn, he’d missed being with Holly the last
few days. How could she have gotten under his skin in so short a
time? Short? He admitted she’d haunted him since the first day
they’d met. Mind blowing sex only intensified his obsession for
her. Tonight he’d take her to a fancy restaurant for dinner to
celebrate the new contract—provided, of course, it happened.

He’d convince the Amberfield people that
Marvel could move ahead with the times. Lord, her had too. A
contract with Amberfield would open new doors with other companies.
Tension had his body taut as an anchor cable. A glance at his watch
told him he had time for a cup of coffee and his newspapers before
anyone else came in.

Trent read the
Dallas Morning News
then folded it and laid it
aside. He flipped to the business pages of the
Dallas Daily Chronicle.
Rarely did he bother
with the second place wannabe. Occasionally, like today, he checked
the
Chronicle’s
version of
industry news. When he looked at the paper, he stared in
disbelief.

Holy shit, why now?

The old photo of him with the black eye
from his brawl with the art thieves stared back at him from three
columns. The headline
Pirate Steals Local
Treasure
blazed across the top of the page in large
print. He checked the byline and saw Larry Hassle had written the
story, the sorry bastard.

Hot liquid scorched Trent’s hand and he
realized he’d squeezed his Styrofoam cup into shreds. Coffee ran
through his fingers and spread across his desktop.

“
Damn that Hassle.” He leaped up and
rushed for napkins to blot the spreading brown stain. Of all days
for this to come out, it had to be just before the
meeting.

Lila rushed in with a section of the paper.
“Oh, my, Trent, did you see this”—she tossed her pages into the
trash and hurried to help Trent—“I see you have.” She only used his
first name if no one else was around, though he’d told her to call
him by it all the time. She had her ideas about propriety and
wouldn’t budge.

Trent looked up from mopping at the mess with
a handful of napkins. “See my past dredged up, but told with a
vicious slant that makes it appear I’ve stolen every dime I have?
Yeah, I saw it.”

“
No.” Lila shook her head. “He
carefully avoided accusing you in actual words that would open the
publisher to a libel suit. But you’re right about the tone.” Lila
scooped soggy napkins into the trash can she’d positioned at the
edge of his desk.

“
It alluded I’d double-crossed the
thieves both times, wormed my way into Swenson’s confidence, and
then stole his ship when Swenson mysteriously died. And left the
question of his death hanging, as if I could have caused his
untimely death from an aneurysm.”

“
You’re right, it made you sound like
the worst kind of thief and almost an unconvicted murderer.” Lila
brought Trent a fresh cup of coffee.

“
But I can take the heat. It’s the end
of the story that speculates on the precarious position of Marvel
that’s most damaging. It prophesies the company hasn’t enough
reserves to last out the year. Hassle has slammed the door shut on
Marvel.”

And on Macleod. I’m a goner now. Too.

Lila shook her head and met his gaze. “Where
did this person, this Larry Hassle get this stuff? Where would that
weasel get this information to twist?”

Relieved that Lila hadn’t believed the spirit
of the piece, Trent shrugged. He’d only told one person that
information.

Holly.

She’d opposed him on the Amberfield contract
but he thought she’d changed her mind. Or at least taken a
wait-and- see stand. Could she have confided in that lowlife Hassle
to sabotage the deal?

Not her style, he decided.

He hoped.

He
prayed
.

Lila paused in her scrubbing. “This sounds
like it came from someone who had a grudge against you? Any
ideas?”

“
Not many people know that much about
me.” Holly again. Who else?

“
Well, make a list.” Lila grinned.
“We’ll check them out and get a hit man on the one who did
this.”

She could smile, but it wasn’t her reputation
spread out across the news page. “I might make the hit myself if I
figure out who’s responsible.”

Holly rushed in, her cheeks pink and the
newspaper in her hand. “Trent, have you seen this?” She glanced at
the soggy newspapers on his desk. “Oh.”

Holly held up the article and tapped the
photo with her finger. “Besides me, who knows this much about
you?”

“
Joe Bob.” He sank to his desk chair
and groaned. “Damn. And Carl Winston.”

Sparks shot from Holly’s beautiful blue eyes.
“Geneva’s behind this! Oh, she threatened to get even when I kicked
her out of the house, but this is more than I expected even of
her.”

Lila paused. “You gave your stepmother her
walking papers? Good for you, dear.”

He shook his head. “Well, they say there’s no
fury like a woman scorned. Guess she was getting even with both of
us.”

Holly’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it, that bitch
did come on to you and you turned her down. That’s why she was so
mad at you. It had nothing to do with my father or his death.”

She pointed at the article again. “But this
twists everything you’ve done in your life and it doesn’t include
any of the good.”

He scrubbed a hand across his face, wishing
it could wipe out the memory of that story. “There’s not much good
to include but this sounds as if I need to be behind bars.”

Lila tut-tutted. “Now, you can’t deny that
children’s home and helping those two boys. Holly and I met
them.”

“
That’s right.” Holly punched her
newspaper again. “And in each of these events you were helping
protect others and obeying the law. Instead, this twists the facts
and makes it sound as if you were somehow the criminal. I swear
I’ll choke Geneva for this.”

“
Get in line.” Lila sounded like a
mother hen whose chick was endangered.

The phone rang and Lila sprang to answer it.
She replaced the receiver and met Trent’s gaze. “That was
reception. The Amberfield team is here.”

During the plant tour, Trent emphasized the
flexibility and capabilities of the equipment and employees.
Following that, he talked about the installation of new machinery
and how quickly that could be implemented. He smiled, oiled his
words, and gave it his best schmooze.

In the conference room, George Denton
listened to the pitch for ten minutes before he interrupted.
“Listen, Macleod, this is all pretty pointless. We saw the story in
the newspaper and we know Marvel’s financial picture. We’re wasting
time because we haven’t seen anything to change our minds.”

“
Denton, surely you don’t believe that
trashy story. Give me a chance to defend myself and Marvel.”
Trent’s brass ring slipped from his grasp.

Denton stood and gathered his papers into his
brief case. “Can’t take the risk of handing over this business when
Marvel may not be around to deliver. Besides which, we can’t work
with someone we can’t trust. Sorry if that’s too blunt, Macleod,
but that’s how it is.”

Trent leaped to his feet. “That’s crazy. You
can’t base a business decision on a slanderous news story. You’ve
seen the plant, heard the benefits of the schedule we’ve
offered.”

“
Sorry, Macleod. We were wavering
before. That seals it.” The snap of Denton’s briefcase was like a
rifle shot to Trent’s heart.

The other two men who’d accompanied Denton
followed him out of the conference room, neither willing to look
him in the eyes.

Trent had been sucker punched. His world
crashed around him. How could he pull Marvel out of the fire
without Amberfield? The other deals he’d been working would likely
trickle in over the next year. This was the one that would have
saved them now.

If it were only for himself this would be
enough of a blow. But there were three hundred employees, families
who would be cheated of income if Marvel folded. And Holly would
lose everything again. He sat frozen at the table as others from
his staff expressed regrets and filed out.

Inside he became the abandoned child
again.

My dad’s a fireman, what does your dad
do?

How come you don’t have a family, Trent?

Sorry, the Billingses want to try a younger
boy, Trent. Don’t worry, we’ll find you somewhere else.

Sorry, Trent, the Phillips are moving out of
state. Don’t worry, we’ll find you another home.

Another place to live, but never a real home.
Never secure. Never fit in. He propped his elbows on the table and
rested his forehead in his hands.

And he’d thought he could sweep Holly off her
feet and make her Mrs. Trent Macleod. Yeah, right. And live on
what? She deserves more, a man who can provide all she’s used to
and who can treat her like the princess she is.