Maxine (27 page)

“Do you think a jury would convict me if I shot the man?” she said calmly.

He chuckled, knowing she didn’t mean it. “Better have Marge remove all the files on this corporation before Ronnie Boy spirits them away. Have them sent to your house. Gerry can help me go through them.”

Cara’s cell phone rang again. This time it was Marge. Her quick look at the old files confirmed that the same people were involved in other transactions and renovations. “Marge, I want you to do something for me when Mr. Holcomb leaves for lunch. I want you to box up all the files on the RASH Corporation. I’ll call the estate and have someone come and pick them up.”

“You want
all
of them?”

“Everything you can find. I don’t want to give him a chance to make any changes or hide anything. I want the ones from his office and the ones you found stored in the back room. I want everything. If he gives you any grief over it, tell him to call me.”

“Yes, all right.”

Cara called Mr. Pettibone to arrange for someone to pick up the files and then leaned back and sighed.

Nick knew she’d seen more than she was prepared to see at the apartments, but those were the people who would benefit from the charities she wanted to set up. He rubbed her leg. “It’s not easy to see people living like that, is it?”

“God, no. How many families are still there?”

“Six. One is a sick old woman who belongs in a nursing home. One is an alcoholic mother of three neglected kids who belong in a foster home. One is working part time, and you met the other three.”

“Do they work?”

“No, they’re on welfare, but that’ll stop if they get booted out. You need an address to get welfare. They’re all on the list for public housing, but that takes time.”

Nick leaned his head back, suddenly very tired.

Cara’s eyebrows knit with worry. “Are you all right? Do you want to go home?”

“Nah, I’m okay, just tired. Let’s go get some lunch.”

On the way to the restaurant, Cara talked to Nick about the RASH Corporation. “I know less than nothing about construction and renovation, Nick. I know you haven’t completely recovered yet, but—”

“Will you quit beating around the bush and spit it out.”

“Will you take over RASH for me? I want to put them out of business, but I can’t just close them down. The assets have to be inspected and sold or fixed or something.”

“Yeah, sure.” Why not? Being in charge of the corporation would give him the clout he needed to get the business in order. He’d have to inspect the properties and decide how to handle things one property at a time. The apartments needed a whole lot of work, and he had no idea about the other buildings RASH owned. With any luck, he could stop the money drain, maybe get some of Cara’s investment back.

<>

Mark Anderson showed up at two with a smelly cigar and a scowl on his face, muttering, “I don’t have time for this shit.”

“In that case, you’re fired,” said Nick. “Whatever projects you have going for the RASH Corporation or the Andrews Estate end today. Right, Maxine?”

She lifted her chin and her eyes sparkled. “That’s right.”

Anderson snapped, “I don’t work for you, I work for Ron Holcomb.”

“But Ron Holcomb works for me,” said Cara. “Perhaps I didn’t make it clear who I was when I called. My name is Cara Andrews, and the Andrews estate belongs to me.” She paused long enough for that to sink in, and then added, “Including RASH.”

If the cigar hadn’t been stuck to his lip, it would have fallen out of his mouth. The man apologized so quickly he stumbled over his own words.

Cara motioned to Nick. “This is Nick Donatelli. He’s the new President of RASH. You will work for him or you won’t work for us at all. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nick winked and she smiled. And then the architect, Cal Richards, appeared. He smiled and offered his hand. “Miss Andrews, how nice to meet you at last. Ron has told me about you taking a more active role in the management of the estate.”

Nick rolled his eyes and Cara almost laughed. Richards had apparently spoken with Ron.

Nick reached for the plans. “Tell me in general terms what you have planned for this site.”

Richards handed over the plans, which Nick tucked under his arm. “We’ll level the old buildings and start over. Three buildings of luxury condos, as Ron requested.”

“Why in the hell would you put luxury anything in this area?” asked Nick.

“This neighborhood is turning around. It’s close enough to town to attract young professionals, and we believe the condos will sell quite well.”

“Oh, yeah? Is that what you did on the other street?”

“Yes.”

“Are they all sold?”

“Well, not yet, but Jasper thinks they will when we get this project finished.”

“Like hell,” muttered Nick. “You’d have to renovate six blocks and even then it’s iffy. What’s wrong with renovating the current buildings for low income?”

“But there’s no profit in that.”

“There’s no profit in condos if you can’t sell them.”

Cal Richards shut his mouth.

Nick held up the plans. “I’ll take these home and study them and get back to you. Do you have a business card?”

Both men handed over their cards, and Nick tucked them in his shirt pocket. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow or the next day, and at that time I’ll expect a list of all the work you’re currently doing, and all the work you’ve previously done for RASH. All projects are on hold until I see what you’re doing.”

The two men exchanged glances and left quietly. Cara stared at Nick. She had a whole new respect for his business capabilities. He’d put those men in their place and taken charge as if he’d done it a hundred times. “Well, it looks like I hired the right man.”

He raised his eyebrows. “President?”

“Nick, without you I wouldn’t have any idea what to do with RASH.”

Nick didn’t mind the work and Cara needed someone she could trust to get things under control.
President.
He smiled to himself. He’d never been president of anything, but work had always been an important part of his life. He needed to accomplish something. Watching a building go up, seeing a plan take shape and turn into someone’s home made him proud. This time he couldn’t do the work himself, but he knew what had to be done, and the first thing was to take the four founders of RASH out of the picture.

He knew Cara didn’t give him the job out of guilt or to pay him back for helping her when she needed it. Construction was his business. He usually worked on homes, but he’d worked on several office complexes, too, and he knew his business. He also knew what it was like to live in a dumpy apartment. When he finished, those apartments would be safe and kid-friendly.

The structure on these buildings looked sound. If the foundations weren’t damaged, they could rip out the interior walls, exterminate, clean out the mold, and rebuild the inside. It was a good spot for low income housing, with a bus stop right out front.

Nick walked Cara back to the Bentley and slid into the backseat. “Cara, what would you think of bringing Al up to look at those buildings, see if he could help work up a new design?”

“Sure, okay. Bring him up here.” She put her head on his shoulder. “You’re the boss.”

He rested his head on her soft curls and closed his eyes. “We make a good team.”

“Yes, we do.”

The driver asked if they still wanted him to take them to the other building scheduled for renovation, the single family home. “If it isn’t too far out of the way, maybe we could just drive by,” said Nick. He was too tired to inspect another building today.

Minutes later, the driver said, “The address is up here on the right. Do you want me to stop?”

“Nah, just drive slow.” Nick read the house numbers. “Looks like that blue one on the side of the hill.” He saw a movement in an upstairs window. “Hey, there’s somebody there. I thought that was a vacant house.”

“Apparently not,” said Cara. “Forget it for now. It’ll keep for another day.”

<>

Lance stared out the window. That was Cara’s Bentley, and they were pointing at the house. “Ian,” he called. “Does Cara know where you live?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then why in the hell is she driving by, staring at the house?”

“I assume the estate owns the property, but why would she care? She doesn’t know anything about business.”

“Good question,” muttered Lance.

“I’ll call Ron and see what’s up,” said Ian.

Lance was sure Ron hadn’t bothered to tell Cara that Ian and Jane were living in a house she owned.

<>

Nick and Cara found several boxes of files stacked on the desk in the library. Nick dug through one box, giving a few files a cursory glance.

Cara swept her hand toward the boxes. “Mr. President, it’s all yours.”

“Gee, thanks.” He put the lid on the box. “I think.”

“Nick, if you don’t want—”

“You need me on this, Cara.”

“Yes, I do.” She cocked her head and licked her lips.

Nick grinned. She needed something all right, and it wasn’t business this time. Without touching her, he leaned down to whisper, “I know what you really need.”

“I thought you couldn’t do that until the doctor said—”

“The doctor fixed my heart, not my—”

She laughed that throaty, sexy laugh and his pants tightened. “Oh, Nick, I love it when you’re naughty.”

He scooped her against him. “I love it when I’m naughty, too.”

“My, my, my,” she whispered, rubbing against the hard wand in his pants. “It seems like you need something, too.”

“You, baby. I need you.”

Cara had always been careful not to let the staff see them together like this, but she no longer cared what anyone saw or thought. She was crazy about Nick, and she wanted them to be together the way they were before the shooting. She wanted him to make love to her, but it had only been four weeks since his surgery. Was he ready?

Nick heard someone coming and whispered, “Later, baby. Later.”

Gerry walked in the study door and pointed to the boxes. “What’s all this?”

“Our work for the next few days,” said Nick. “The files from RASH.”

“
Our
work?”

“Nick is taking over RASH,” said Cara. “Did you speak with Bart? Does he know anything about it?”

“He knows it’s one of the estate’s assets, but he doesn’t know any more than that.”

She drummed her fingers on the box. “I wonder if Ron pays himself a salary for running RASH.”

“Damn right he does,” said Nick.

“Would you check it out, Gerry?” asked Cara. “Nick is going to inspect the property, but someone needs to check the legalities and the books. If you need an accountant, call Bart.”

He nodded. “I’ll do that.”

Nick glanced at the clock on the desk. “It’s almost dinner time.”

Gerry asked, “Are you going to work on this after dinner?”

Nick smiled at Cara. “Not tonight, Gerry. I have something else in mind for tonight.”

Gerry grinned and opened a box. “It’s about time,” he said just loud enough for Nick to hear.

Cara wandered into the kitchen and asked that dinner for herself and Nick be served in Nick’s room upstairs. “We have work to catch up on,” she said, holding up the folder they’d gone through in the car. From the look in Cassie’s eyes, they weren’t fooling anyone, but it didn’t matter. Cara loved Nick and she didn’t care if the whole world knew it. She loved him and he loved her. That was all that mattered.

She found Nick in the sun room, talking to the birds. “You and I are eating upstairs tonight.”

“What?”

“In your room. I said we had work—”

Nick leaned down, his face in hers. “Cara, what were you thinking? They’ll know.”

“So what?”

“I thought you didn’t want anyone to know until you got your divorce. What about your reputation?”

She threw out her hands. “What reputation? I married a man who brought his mistress into my own house and flaunted her in front of the staff. Making love with you should bring my reputation up a notch.”

He put his hand on his chest. “Okay, then we don’t want to ruin
my
reputation.”

Cara laughed. And laughed.

“It’s not that funny,” he said, but he couldn’t keep a straight face.

“Oh, yes it is.” She took his arm and they walked up to his room.

Two hours later, with their dinner finished and the tray pushed outside the door, Cara lay on the bed with Nick while he started an old James Taylor recording.

“Mmm, I like this one.” She snuggled in his arms and in minutes, he was sound asleep.