Waking Up To Love (Lakeside Porches Book 4) (34 page)

“I did warn you.”

“Yes, you did. I also regret that your persistent effort to learn more about Rand’s movements put you in some danger, according to Joel.”

Lyssa’s eyes darkened and her hand closed around her water glass, but she said nothing.

Planning to toss it in my face?
He spied their waiter emerging from the kitchen with a tray. “Ah, our lunch. We’re saved from starvation.”

He smiled his thanks to the waiter who set a salad at his place. “That’s a two-fisted prime rib sandwich you’ve got there, Lyssa,” he said with a chuckle.

She picked up a sweet-potato fry and motioned for him to help himself.

He enjoyed one before taking the first few bites of his salad. Lyssa’s mouth was full of juicy beef when he said, “I understand Joel has filled you in, confidentially, on Marie Tully’s arrest.”

She nodded, and her gaze swept around the room, needlessly. The hostess had been well paid to insure their privacy, and he’d purposely sacrificed his view of the lake to sit with his back to the windows so he could assess everyone who entered the room. It would not do for anyone to overhear this conversation.

“Joel also mentioned that the pilot of Rand’s jet gave you an earful about a side business of Rand’s.” At Lyssa’s nod, he continued, “I have chosen not to do anything about that, although I wish I’d known it a month ago. I am telling you in confidence that Rand will become tenured in a few weeks. We’ve acted early on several of the candidates.”

She set down her sandwich, swallowed, and reached for her glass with a shaking hand. “Did that decision precede Marie’s arrest and your awareness of her, quote, side business?”

He nodded and speared another forkful of salad.

“That could blow up in your face, couldn’t it?”

He chuckled drily. “Indeed. I don’t know why I have felt compelled to bend the rules for that young man from day one. Perhaps because he reminded me of Joel, years ago. But, unlike Joel, Rand is completely unconcerned with shaping up and taking responsibility.”

“He sucked me in, too, Justin. I think he was using me to secure preferential treatment from you. And he succeeded. Brilliantly. Do you know his parents disowned him because he chose to pursue poetry and teaching, rather than take his place in the family business? I understand his master plan was to marry me and, probably, live off your money.” She raised her glass to him.

Justin’s fork paused midway to his mouth. He set it down and clinked his glass against hers. “Here’s to escaping that disaster,” he said solemnly.

“You and I have come a long way, haven’t we, Justin?”

He laughed. “You’re the one that’s come a long way. I’m still a bumbling bully.”

Lyssa laughed from her belly, and her cheeks took on a little color.

“That’s better. Now, tell me how you feel about Rand’s tenure award?”

“First, it gets me off the hook following him around. Forever. Correct?” At Justin’s nod, she continued, “Truthfully, I think he deserves tenure, for his innovative teaching and for the way he inspires and promotes the talent of his students.”

Justin nodded as she spoke and drummed a rhythm with his fingertips against his water glass.

“I also think that, by awarding him tenure, you’ve given him a huge incentive to clean up his act or, at least, stay out of the drug business. Let’s hope he doesn’t blow it.”

Justin’s hand jerked. Though he caught the glass before it toppled, he eyed the spreading wet patch on the tablecloth with annoyance.

“Thanks for getting me out to a meeting.” Gianessa flashed a smile as she slid into the passenger seat of the Passat. “Did you take that nap you promised yourself?”

“Yes, after I made a spa appointment for tomorrow, late afternoon. I was sound asleep for three hours, and it did me a world of good.”

“You still—”

“I know, I still have dark circles. I’ll do a better job with makeup before Kyle gets home.”

“Is he coming to your place or ours?”

“I don’t know yet. It depends on how early his meetings are in the morning. Gianessa, I love him and my heart and my gut are telling me to marry him. But my mind says I’m going against everything I thought I wanted in life.”

“I can identify.” Gianessa squeezed her arm.

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was insane. Tell me your story first.”

“When I arrived in Tompkins Falls, I was broke, and I was still struggling to recover from a terrible divorce that resulted from my addiction. I was determined to focus on my career and never, ever again let a man take away my independence. That’s probably not what you’re feeling, though, is it?”

“Not exactly. All my life I wanted security. A peaceful home. A respectful, loving relationship. And money enough to not be a victim, not be dependent on someone untrustworthy. So, it’s a little like your situation. Tell me how you were planning to make
your
dreams come true?”

“I planned to redesign Joel’s spa, resurrect my career in physical therapy, build up a bank account—or whatever it is you do to be financially independent—and maybe then find a decent guy to share my life.”

“But not share your money.” Lyssa laughed.

“Exactly.” Gianessa hooted her agreement.

“It didn’t work out the way you planned.”

“Not at all. Joel’s spa redesign turned into the Harmony Center.”

“Which I still don’t know anything about.”

“Shame on you. And, of course, Justin and I fell in love, and I got pregnant. We got married, not because he had billions, but because I was struggling and pregnant with twins. And because we loved each other.”

“Tell me honestly, has the huge difference in money been a problem for you?”

“As it turns out, no. Justin does not try to control me in any way. We danced around that in the beginning, since each of us is a control freak. He was used to throwing his money around to get his way, and I didn’t let him do that with me.

“But we’re supposed to be talking about
you
, Lyssa. How did
you
plan to accomplish
your
dream of career and motherhood?”

Lyssa signaled a left turn to avoid the downtown traffic. “My master plan was to get my doctorate and become a really good, tenured professor. And maybe have a kind, thoughtful husband on the side who would go along with my desire to have half a dozen children.”

“Let me guess. You would have been in charge of everything?”

“Of course,” Lyssa said with a laugh. “How did you know?”

“It was the same for me. But I’m not in charge of Justin, and he’s not in charge of me. We work it out, one day at a time. Who’s in charge, you or Kyle?”

“Neither. We’re learning how to be partners, though obviously Kyle is more mature. Last week in Cornwall, it looked like we were making good progress.”

“Does he ever try to manipulate you or steamroll you or throw his money around?”

“Manipulate, yes, a little but not with ill intent. No to the rest. After I grilled him about his business—you remember the time he walked me home from your place and I subjected him to the inquisition?—he’s been very open about his money.”

“Good.”

“He does still have that annoying habit of planning things, like walking away from his business, without talking them over with me. We’re working on that.”

As they drove through a residential area toward the Happy Hour meeting, on a whim Lyssa turned the corner onto Seneca Street. “We have an extra minute, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“Blast.” Her smile faded.

“What’s wrong?”

“I wanted to drive past and show you the sweet little place I liked so much when Kyle and I were pretending to be in the market for a house.” She gestured with a limp hand toward the right.

“The cute, gray house with the SOLD sign? Bummer.”

Kyle smiled across Lyssa’s kitchen island and tugged at the curl on her forehead. “I can see I’m going to have to give you your own ties for Christmas. I was planning to wear that navy one today, you know.”

“My bad. I suppose I need to replace the ones I’ve pilfered.”

“How many?” he said with mock severity.

“Don’t know. They’re just so irresistible.” She fluttered her eyelashes.

“Do all women appropriate neckties to keep their hair in check?”

“Only those with out-of-control curls. I probably should get a chic little haircut to solve the whole problem. What do you think?”

“Hold on. How short are we talking?”

She drew an imaginary line that skimmed her ear. “How many inches is that?”

“Six or eight.” He pursed his mouth and nodded. “It would probably save a dozen ties.”

“You are fun to wake up to,” she told him with a laugh.

“This morning your laugh is like the church bells in the village down the road from Pennington House.”

Her cheeks grew pink. “Thank you. Do I need to surrender the tie, or were you planning to stop at Justin and Gianessa’s before your meeting?”

“It happens that the first meeting of the day is in Justin’s study. In fifteen minutes. We’re Skyping with Geoffrey.” Kyle ferried their dishes to the sink.

“Wait a minute. Justin, the former venture capitalist, is in on a call to Geoffrey? What are the three of you up to?” Lyssa took one last swallow of coffee and put her mug in the dishwasher.

Kyle handed her dishes as he rinsed them. He’d learned weeks ago not to interfere with her placement of objects in her dishwasher. “Geoffrey and I have been talking about expanding the business into higher education, colleges like Tompkins College that can’t afford a comprehensive package but still need to detect and respond to all sorts of threats and mischief on the network.”

“Such as?”

“Hacking, grade fixing, falsification of records with a variety of ill intents, cyberbullying, illicit trafficking, mandatory alerts stemming from incidents of violence, and so on. We think we can slide our secure layer under existing software that manages all the business functions. We’d have someone monitoring from London, so the colleges wouldn’t have to hire more staff. That would give them lots more protection without having to start all over with a hugely expensive new system and extra staff.”

Lyssa leaned back against the counter. “I’m confused. Didn’t you tell me you were possibly letting go of the business to focus your energy on the estate?”

“Er, yes, actually, that is the direction I believe I’m heading.”

“By starting a new business? Funded by Justin Cushman, who closed his venture capital business a couple of years ago? Do I have that right?”

He shut off the water and met her gaze.

She raised her eyebrows.

With his hands on her waist, he drew her into an embrace. “Good point, sweetheart. I guess I’m not quite as ready to separate from the business as I imagined.”

She raked his perfectly styled hair and planted a lipstick-y kiss on his mouth.

He held her tight to him. “But I am completely confident about us. I know we’re right for each other.” Her fragrance permeated his senses. “Have you always worn roses and lily of the valley?”

“Always. Do you think I should change it?”

“Never.” He stroked her sides from shoulders to hips. “Thank you for injecting sanity into my meeting with Justin and Geoffrey.”

“Please don’t make any rash business decisions until we talk some more.”

“You think it’s a terrible idea?”

“Go. You’ll be late.” She rubbed off the lipstick with her thumb while he patted his hair in place.

“Dinner, right? You decide where, luv.”

Lyssa’s phone chirped. “It’s Rand,” she told her sister.

Manda’s eyes grew wide. “What does he want?”

“Hi, Rand. I’ve been meaning to call you and schedule coffee.”

“You owe me.” The force of his voice made her hold out her phone. “I searched all over New York City for you. Where did you go?”

She laughed. “You pissed me off, so I took my headache somewhere else. Philadelphia, actually.” She held the phone against her thigh so he wouldn’t hear Manda’s giggle and her own.

“I was worried.”

“Good. Now you know how it felt when you pulled that disappearing act after apple picking. Let’s meet for coffee. How about Lynnie’s Chestnut Lake Café across from the park? My treat.”

Silence followed. Lyssa looked at Manda and shrugged.

“When?”

“Fifteen minutes suit you?”

“I’ll be there.”

She ended the call. “Care to come and have a latte on me?”

“I’m not sitting with you two.” Manda folded her arms across her chest.

“I didn’t mean that. I’d appreciate the moral support, and I think this will take all of ten minutes.”

“You’re blowing him off?”

“I am. Kyle insists. Justin has already relieved me of spy duty for eternity. It’s time to give Rand the ultimate kiss off.”

Lyssa had just taken her skinny vanilla latte to a corner table across the room from Manda, when Rand strolled through Lynnie’s front door. He sneered at the jingle bells that played each time a customer entered or exited. Lynnie and Manda exchanged a silent OMG.

“Rand, right on time!” Lyssa rushed to meet him, kissed his cheek and steered him to the counter. “You look like you could use an espresso drink. Lynnie is
the
best latte maker. What’s your pleasure?”