Winds of Heaven (16 page)

“It wasn’t an accident, Kylie,” Stephanie interrupted. “Alex said it looked like arson, and he…he didn’t want Nick to know that. That’s why he sent me. He thought he could disguise the evidence somehow. I tried to tell him it wasn’t possible and that it’s illegal to do that. Plus, there were people all around. I mean, that’s crazy, right? But Alex seemed to think he could handle everything and still keep Nick from finding out and laying the blame on him.”

“Nick wouldn’t do that. Alex can’t be held responsible for everything that goes wrong at Southwest.”

“But Alex does feel responsible for everything that goes wrong. He could be a really fine executive, you know, if his family would leave him alone. But they seem to delight in criticizing his every decision, every idea.”

“Stephanie, if concealing evidence in a fire is an example of his ideas and ability to make mature decisions, he needs more than criticism.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Kylie.” Stephanie sat up, defensiveness written in every angle of her body. “No one is going to hold you accountable for today’s fire. And no one will expect you to explain how and why such a thing happened.”

“He is the president of the company,” Kylie said, trying to insert some reason into the building ferocity of Stephanie’s argument. “And the president of any company is expected to investigate and explain any accidents.”

“Alex could do that,” Stephanie interrupted vigorously. “If Nick wasn’t here breathing down his neck, Alex would conduct an investigation, and he’d get to the bottom of this in no time.”

She paused, and her eyes shone with conviction. “He just needs the chance to prove he’s capable of handling the responsibility of his position, to feel proud of his accomplishments and to learn from his own mistakes. Surely everyone is entitled to that. You said so in the first training session, didn’t you, Kylie?”

Blinking at the barrage of wisdom—her own wisdom, evidently—Kylie was at a loss for words. She could only wonder at the idiosyncrasies of human nature. The traits others interpreted as weakness in Alex Jamison, Stephanie, seeing with love’s vision, understood as potential strengths.

Nick was right, Kylie thought. The differences between two people weren’t necessarily bad. And in this case they seemed good and very right. Alex needed someone to believe in him, and Stephanie needed someone to believe in. Suddenly Kylie felt that the future was a kaleidoscope of promise.

“You don’t think Alex can handle the job either,” Stephanie said, obviously interpreting the silence as a negative response. “But you’re wrong, Kylie. If Nick will just leave him alone….”

“Don’t blame Nick.” Kylie knew her voice was sharp, but she couldn’t hold back the defensive retort. “If Alex can handle the job, Stephanie, he can do so with or without someone breathing down his neck, as you put it. Nick is simply doing his job.”

“I should have known you’d take that attitude. No one is ever on Alex’s side.”

Kylie took a deep breath and refrained from mentioning that there was probably a good reason for that. Instead she reminded herself that Stephanie was upset by the afternoon’s events and forced a smile. “With you on his side it doesn’t appear he needs anyone else.”

Stephanie managed an equally forced smile and lapsed into an uneasy silence. Kylie ignored her iced drink to stare out the patio doors as a restlessness settled around her. Finally, deciding that Stephanie was no more in the mood for conversation than she was, Kylie excused herself and went to her bedroom to change clothes.

She was tempted to take a soothing soak in the tub, but she contented herself with a brief hot shower and a brisk rubdown. As she slipped into the brightly colored folds of a caftan, she thought of Nick and wondered what he was doing. Taking charge, more than likely, she thought confidently. Bringing some semblance of order to a disorderly situation.

Nick. She savored the thought of him and cradled within her heart the knowledge of her love for him. Everything was going to work out beautifully. As soon as she finished the seminar—the seminar! Apprehension prickled along her spine. Trouble at the mill could mean trouble for her seminar too. But, no, it was silly even to consider the idea.

One thing was not indicative of the other, and Nick wouldn’t….

Of course he wouldn’t.

Resolutely Kylie pushed the negative thoughts from her mind, brushed her chestnut curls, and joined a still-pensive Stephanie in the living area.

But the doubts remained at the edge of her consciousness until the moment Nick walked into the room. He looked tired, drained, but her fears receded at the reassuring slant of his lips.

Alex’s perpetual good humor was not in evidence, Kylie noted. As he followed Nick into the room Alex smiled, but it was a weak attempt at best and only emphasized the lines of strain in his face. Without waiting for a greeting Stephanie moved to his side and slipped her hand into his. Alex looked down at his secretary with an oddly surprised expression.

“Everything is all right, isn’t it?” Stephanie said softly, making it a combination of question and statement.

Alex nodded, his whole attention focused on the woman who was staring up at him with such quiet confidence. Kylie felt suddenly awkward watching them, and her eyes sought Nick’s to see if he, too, felt like an intruder on a private moment.

But if Nick had any such feelings, he was hiding them admirably. In fact, he seemed far more interested in Kylie’s untouched glass of tea on the coffee table. With a wry shake of her head Kylie walked to the table, lifted the glass, and motioned for Nick to follow her into the kitchen.

“Is everything all right?” she asked when they were safely out of earshot.

Nick leaned against the counter, his gaze on her as she filled a clean glass with ice cubes. “Well, that all depends on your point of view. Everything at the plant is under control. The fire safety equipment we installed worked perfectly, so the damage is minor. A few hours of clean up and a couple of repairs should get things back in order. I just wish the other problems could be cleaned up as easily.”

Kylie poured tea into the glass and offered it to him. “I’m almost afraid to ask what the other problems are.”

Staring down at the iced drink in his hands, Nick emitted a weary sigh. “Alex has made a big mistake this time, Kylie. Grandfather is going to hit the roof, and I don’t think even Aunt Rosemary will be able to charm him down.”

“Stephanie told me she tried to talk Alex out of concealing the evidence, but he was adamant. I can’t imagine how he thought he could hide something like arson from you or anyone else.”

“Arson?” Nick asked sharply. “Is that what he told her? It wasn’t arson, Kylie. It was negligence. Alex’s own negligence. He’s responsible for the storage and disposal of the chemicals used at Southwest, probably the most important safety precaution in the entire plant. The chemicals were in the wrong place.
The wrong place, Kylie.
Do you realize what could have happened if the fire had started during the workweek, when that building housed a full shift of employees and not just a few maintenance people?”

“Disaster.” Her whispered word hung heavily in the air, and she wished for Stephanie’s sake that there might be a mistake. “You’re sure it was his fault?”

Nick’s gray eyes spoke volumes in a brief glance. “I’m sure. If Alex had conducted even one of the checks he’s supposed to make during the week, he would have discovered the error.”

“I guess nothing like this has ever happened before?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Nick said, placing his glass on the counter. “But then, I don’t believe Stephanie has ever left Alex completely on his own before…”

“…before my seminar.” Kylie finished the sentence with a frown. “Poor Stephanie. Just when things were beginning to look promising.”

“If you’re going to start dispensing sympathy, save some for me. I’m the one who’s caught between family ties and business ethics.” Nick reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms with a smooth tug.

“Nick, we have company.” Kylie made a weak protest even as her arms wound around his neck.

“That sounds very domestic, Kylie, but I’m just not in the mood for entertaining.”

As if on cue there came the sound of a car door closing and then the muffled hum of Alex’s Porsche. Nick smiled. “I guess our company wasn’t in the mood to be entertained either.”

“How convenient,” Kylie murmured, lifting her lips to invite his kiss.

He accepted her offer with a touch that was almost rough in its intensity. The coolness of the iced tea lingered on his lips, and she pressed closer to warm him. His tongue invaded her mouth as he molded her resilient body to his own. Desire whispered through her with aching urgency, and she shivered with longing.

Wanting him had become such a part of her that he could summon it from her at will. Just a touch, a word, a look, and her love for him responded. But this time Kylie felt he needed something more from her. Intuitively she knew he was seeking comfort in her arms, a quiet place to retreat from the responsibilities that weighed so heavily on him. At the thought a sweet sense of contentment settled within her, and she gave herself up to the fulfillment of his kiss.

Nick cradled her against him and buried his face in the softness of her hair. “You smell wonderful. I’m going to miss that musky perfume you wear.”

“Miss?” she asked absently. “Are you going somewhere?”

“San Francisco, first thing in the morning. I have to drive into Albuquerque to catch a direct flight, so I’ll have to leave early. If you’ll get packed tonight and go with me, you can probably get a direct flight to San Diego, and we’ll have a few extra hours together.”

“I don’t need a flight to San Diego, direct or otherwise.” Kylie tilted her face back to look into his eyes. “But I might be persuaded to get up early enough to have breakfast with you.”

His hands found her shoulders and tightened their hold. “You’re returning home tomorrow, Kylie. No arguments.”

“Why?” She stepped back, separating herself from him by a small but important distance.

“You’re going home because I…. Because that’s what I want.”

Displeasure stiffened her posture. “And what if it isn’t what I want, Nick?”

“Don’t be difficult about this, Kylie.”

“Just how do you want me to be? Meek and obedient? I’m not, you know.”

“I know.” He released her from his grasp. “You’re assertive and independent. You’re also argumentative and unreasonable at times.”

“Unreasonable? Simply because I won’t obey your order? I have a training seminar to complete, Nick, and I see no reason to stop it now.”

His mouth formed a derisive line. “I don’t suppose a simple request from me would be sufficient cause?”

“No.” She stepped back, increasing the space between them as if she were drawing boundary lines. “And please don’t put me in a position where I’m torn between personal wishes and professional commitments.”

“I’m afraid that can’t be helped, Kylie. You can choose to leave Santa Fe because I asked you as a personal favor, or you can leave because I relieved you of your professional duties. But either way you need to leave.”

She made a futile attempt to control her temper. “I believe we’ve had this discussion before, Nick. I have a contract, and I intend to hold you to it.”

“Kylie,” he said with an entreating look. “Please try to understand. I should never have allowed you to begin the seminar in the first place, but now....”

His voice drifted into an uneasy pause, and her anger focused with chilling purpose. “But now? Now what, Nick? You can’t believe the assertiveness training had anything to do with the fire today.” She stopped, tensely waiting for him to deny it. The silence was suffocating. “That’s what you think, isn’t it? You honestly think I’m respon—” Her throat closed around the word as she met his eyes.

“No! Stop it, Kylie. You know that isn’t true. But the seminar certainly might have distracted Alex from following protocol, might have kept other employees from noticing when he didn’t follow the correct procedures.”

“You
do
blame the seminar!” She turned away in disgust, but he caught her arm and jerked her around to face him.

“That isn’t what I said, damn it! Listen to me. Your blasted training sessions are responsible for a lot of changes taking place at Southwest.”

“Good changes, Nick,” she interrupted.

“That remains to be seen. At any rate, if Stephanie hadn’t been attending your seminars and had monitored Alex’s safety checks as she usually did, then maybe—and I mean
maybe
—the fire might not have happened.” He released his grip on her and raked his fingers through his hair. “Now I’m making excuses for Alex. I don’t want to argue with you, Kylie, but I can’t let you stay.”

“I’m staying.”

A muscle in his jaw clenched with the effort to remain calm. “The repercussions of this incident are just beginning. There’s no way to tell what might happen at this point.”

“That sounds fatalistic and ominous, Nick. What could happen?”

“Word of the fire and its cause will be all over the plant by Monday morning. Demands for a change in management will be rampant. An incident of negligence that endangers the well-being of employees can be explosive. The employees have a right to an explanation, and with all the crazy assertiveness principles you’ve been feeding them, there could be no end to the trouble—

“Crazy assertiveness principles?” Kylie didn’t know how she kept her voice from shaking with anger.

His lean fingers massaged his temple for a moment. “Look, I didn’t mean—well, maybe I did. Sometimes I think you’re crazy to believe in those ridiculous principles, and sometimes I think I’m crazy not to. But right now I just don’t have time to meditate on your theories. The way it stands, I’m going to have a hell of a time explaining to my grandfather why I didn’t fire you in the beginning. And it’s going to be even worse convincing Aunt Rosemary that your seminar isn’t directly responsible for Alex’s disastrous mistake.”

“If you’re my only advocate, I’m afraid it’s a lost cause already,” she drawled sarcastically. “The best argument for my seminar will be the production report at the end of the quarter. And did it ever occur to you that if I continue the training course, it could defuse the explosive situation you’re anticipating? Let me finish the seminar, Nick, and prove its value—even to your satisfaction.”