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“I thought thiswas going to be just us.” The man glared accusingly at thewoman behind the desk.
“I neversaid any such thing and this involves my son. He has a right to behere. Sit down, Joel.” She ordered brusquely. “Darling,Joel was just explaining to me how much trouble his company is in.”
“Which giveshim the right to agree to publish that trash Amelia has written?”Dion looked at him scornfully.
“It’s agood book. Or it will be.” Joel sat back down and could feelhis armpits sweating copiously. He was facing extreme power and heknew it. Ilene Horton might be a woman, but she was powerful andcould be ruthless. He’d read the first draft of the manuscriptand it was explosive.
There’d be areenactment of the scandal that had rocked the family, but he had tothink of his bottom line. He hadn’t been the one to approachAmelia, she’d been the one to reach out and he was interested.
He’d told Ilenethe truth, his company was in a rut and on the verge of bankruptcy.This would drag them out of it and provide much needed revenue. Hehad to run with it.
“If I don’tpublish it, someone else will.” He added in his own defense.
“We’reprepared to kill it before it even gets edited.” Ilene leanedforward in her chair. “I’m disappointed in you, Joel.”
He felt fearshiver along his spine at the look on her face. He’d be goingup against one of the most powerful families in the world, but he wasdesperate.
“It’s toolate.”
“For your sake,I sincerely hope not.” Dion spoke for the first time since heentered the room, his tone icy.
“Ah, right ontime.” Ilene smiled as the doors were pushed open. “Elliot,how nice of you to be so prompt and here are our lawyers as well. Itrust that you have some good news for us.”
“Absolutely.”Elliot was a gruff looking man topping well over six foot withbunched muscles and sandy hair cut close to his scalp. He was formermilitary and you could tell.
“I take it thisis the erstwhile publisher?”
“Gentlemen,this is Joel Haskins. And yes, he’s the publisher.”
“You haven’tdone your research, Mr. Haskins.” Head of the legal team,Andrew Moore, commanded attention with his silver-gray hair andpiercing blue eyes. “I think we should take a seat at thetable. It’d make for a more comfortable setting.” Andrewsought permission from the only woman in the room.
“We should callfor refreshments. I have a feeling this is going to be a longmeeting.”
*****
“He's dying.”
“You’vebeen saying that for the past 3 months and he’s stillaround.”
“I spoke to hisdoctor and he’s giving him two weeks at the most. His heart isfailing and there’s nothing they can do about it. You should goand say your goodbyes. Your pictures are all over the internet and inmagazines.
I supposecongratulations are in order. I hope you know what you’redoing.” Her sister had told her coolly. Now, she was here atthe nursing home, wondering if she’d done the right thing.
She’d leftDion’s office to come straight here and wondered if she shouldhave gone home, take a nap and try and get her thoughts into orderfirst.
“You came.”To her surprise, he seemed even smaller than before.
“Yes.”Somehow, she couldn’t find it in her heart to feed the angerthat had been part of his life for so many years. So many things hadtranspired over the few months.
She’d agreed tobe a surrogate for her best friend and that had turned into somethingso much more significant. She was in love with a complicated andcomplex man and their relationship was the talk of the town.
Whenever she felt asif she was getting through to him, something happened to throw heroff-guard. Ever since her sister had spoken to her, she had thenagging feeling that she needed to make things right with the manwho’d left them.
“The doctorshave given up on me.” His chin wobbled and she could see thetears in his eyes.
“Have you givenup on you?”
“I have to bowto their expertise.” His eyes wandered over her face. “Youget more beautiful each time I see you.”
