Chasing Glory

by Galbraith, DeeAnna

Tal set down his cup. “I did some online research about the resort hotel in Antigua where our supposed products are being served. They cater to couples only.”

  His reasoning suddenly became clear to Glory. “And you want me to pretend to be part of a couple so you can investigate.”

  He nodded.

  Glory sat forward, heart pounding. “How could that possibly tie in to our agreement? Why not have her help you? Time at a couples resort with Alyssia and no office distractions. What could be better?”

  She was jabbering, but couldn’t help it. The thought of her and Tal together in that kind of setting punched every alarm Glory had. She could see the patience in his eyes as he let her run out of steam.

  “Odds are; the bootlegging operation won’t be in the open,” he said. “Your knowledge of the area will be in our favor. As for distractions, I’m not planning a cozy vacation. Alyssia would be a distraction from what I need to do. Shut down the operation that could ruin Kingston.”

  He was right, of course. But that didn’t mean she had to say yes. And in lending credence to his idea, he’d made it clear that she, Glory, would not be a distraction. She took a deep breath, poised to argue against his crazy plan, then changed her mind. His grip on the arm of his chair showed white knuckles. There was a factor he hadn’t mentioned, she was sure of it. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  He nodded. “Promise not to laugh?”

  She couldn’t imagine anything funny about the proposition he was presenting. “Okay.”

  “If I manage to get a handle on this mess in the Caribbean and fix it, don’t you think Alyssia would start thinking of me differently?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The instant he asked the question, Glory swallowed a lump. She knew the answer. Tal not only wanted to save Kingston, he wanted to save Alyssia’s livelihood. He wanted to be her hero, her slayer of dragons. That’s what he’d meant by this trip being associated with the agreement he had with Glory. Well dammit. That was the most romantic thing she’d ever heard.

  It all kept coming back to Alyssia. But that was the point, wasn’t it?

  Her heart fell. Tal’s extremely personal gesture wouldn’t even be appreciated. Glory wanted to take his hand, convince him that trying to impress the VP was a fool’s errand. She sighed. That part was none of her business. She would go to Antigua and do it his way, if she couldn’t talk him out of it.

  “Differently? She might,” Glory hedged. “But you’d be taking a big risk. If Alyssia found out I was your partner in this scheme, it could ruin any chances you’d have with her.”

  The firm set of his mouth showed Glory Tal’s mind was made up.

  “If that happens, I’ll deal with it,” he said. “Although, I think saving the company would be first on her list.”

  Did he even hear what he was saying? Of course the company and Alyssia’s paycheck would come first. Tal would be a pale second if he registered at all.

  Glory had one more come back. “What if you’re caught while investigating? Getting in trouble outside this country is miserable business. I know. I researched non-U.S. punishment systems for one of my blogs. Tal, you aren’t planning a trip to check out some island spice grower. These guys are criminals. You could get hurt or into a serious legal bind. You don’t know what they would be willing to do to protect their investment.”

  She could see him mulling over her words. Maybe, just maybe, she’d talked him out of it.

  “Valid points,” he said. “But the stakes are too high for me to leave it in the hands of some foreign country’s overworked police force. That also goes for the U.S. consul. I have the company attorneys in contact with them and I’ll turn over anything I find to them and the Antiguan FBI attaché. But I can’t trust a bunch of unknowns and bureaucratic red tape. If I get enough solid information, they can’t ignore me.”

  His gaze bored into her. “I’d considered the legal ramifications, but not the personal ones. I have a back-up plan, but it’s not as good as having you with me. I’ll hire a local guide and pay him extra to help me and keep it quiet. I’ll tell the couples resort you had a family emergency and will be joining me in a couple of days, then leave when I get what I need.”

  Panic set in, along with a pounding heart. She’d done too good a job. Well, he wasn’t going solo. Tal Kingston was not a stupid man and could probably get away with a low-key investigation on his own. But she couldn’t stay stateside knowing he could use her help. Naiveté regarding Alyssia and all, she cared about Tal. What was wrong with her? It had been less than a year since Ethan had kicked her to the curb and here she was setting herself up for failure with a man who had his sights set on a woman who couldn’t be less like her.

  Still.

  Glory narrowed her eyes. “You said you trusted me and I know the area. If you’re intent on this crazy plan, I’m going too. We’ll just have to be extra careful. Besides, I’ll get a free trip and lots of material for my blog.”

  “I’ll take notes for you,” he said. “The answer’s still no. I won’t expose you to a possibly dangerous situation.”

  “Then our deal’s off.”

  He straightened. “Our deal, deal? As in you helping me with Alyssia?”

  She had him. “You said this was part of it, too. So, if you’re going to dangle a free trip to the Caribbean in front of me then yank it back, I choose to opt out.”

  • •

  Tal stared as dread slid up and down his core. He couldn’t lose Glory. He’d come to depend on her. She was a big help getting him closer to Alyssia, and he hadn’t reached his goal. She might be threatening him to test the waters, but could he take the chance?

  He liked seeing the passion in her eyes when she talked about travel and her blog. He sighed. “You have to agree to the extent of help you’ll provide once we get there. I won’t put you in harm’s way. Not even to save Kingston’s.”

  That last statement surprised him. Kingston Limited was his creation and had sprung from a lot of hard work before it became a reality. It was true, he realized. If it came down to Glory or his company, he would choose her.

  That wasn’t going to happen. They would succeed in their efforts to uncover the bootleggers, then he would carry out his plan to marry Alyssia. He’d just gotten caught up in the moment and would owe Glory big if she helped him save the company. That’s where this was coming from.

  He stood and extended his hand. “If I book flights for us to leave early Friday and return home Monday, would that be okay?”

  Glory rose and slipped her hand into his. “Fine, but are you sure that gives us enough time? Friday and Monday will be lost to travel.”

  Her hand was warm from holding the coffee cup, a feeling that made him want to hang on. “That’s right,” he said. “Antigua’s not that big, though. Two days of asking around should do it. We have the hotel as a starting place.”

  Tal withdrew his hand and crossed his arms, hoping he looked casual. “Speaking of hotels, how do you want me to book you? I’ll have to use your legal name for the flights, for legal reasons and passport identification. But at the hotel we’ll have to share a room. I can put it under both our names if that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

  Glory grinned. “Using my last name for everything is fine. Lots of women keep theirs after they marry. Or we can just say I’m traveling that way for business reasons.”

  “Then that’s the way we’ll play it.” He rubbed the tips of his fingers together. “You also realize we’ll be booked into a room with one bed?”

  She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll be a gentleman. Hopefully, there’s a couch in the room. We’ll flip to see who gets the bed the first night, then trade off.”

  That simple solution lit his imagination more than Tal thought possible. He took a step back and nodded. “Sounds good.”

  He scrambled for a change of subject. “William is the only one I’m telling about this. I don’t know who else I can trust right now. Make up any story you
want about a four-day weekend, but no one else is to know about it.”

  “Right. No Catherine. Luckily Pryce is a major distraction for her. What about work? I haven’t earned any vacation time.”

  “Take personal days and I’ll reimburse you.”

  As she moved her arms to slip her hands into her pockets, Tal caught a glimpse of creamy skin between her jeans and sweater. His senses fired again. At gut level, he knew the least safe aspect of this little junket would be his constant proximity to Glory, but he didn’t allow that thought to take hold.

  • •

  Early Tuesday morning Glory went to her supervisor’s desk. “Hi, Shelly. My dad’s got a speaking engagement out of town he can’t cancel and the crew that’s replacing his septic tank moved his appointment up. They can’t reschedule for another two months. I’d like to take personal time for Friday and Monday, if possible.”

  Shelly nodded. “Send me an email with the particulars and notify Mr. Lassiter, Mr. Kingston, and Catherine. I’ll arrange coverage. You understand we can’t pay you for those two days?”

  “Yes. And thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “You’ve worked out well, so far. These things come up.”

  A seed of excitement began to grow at the prospect of the trip. Glory loved the feeling, even though on this one she’d be traveling with Tal which had its own set of drawbacks. She made a face at her reflection in the elevator mirror. One minute she was determined not to get any further involved, the next she was blackmailing him into taking her along. She resolved that as soon as her promised month was over, she’d get back to normal.

  Both officers had come in while she was at Shelly’s desk. Glory gave them her story and they both okayed it. When Catherine arrived, Glory casually mentioned she wouldn’t be in on Friday or Monday and explained why.

  Catherine believed her. “Bummer. He going to help defray your unpaid days?”

  Glory nodded absently. “I’ll get it back.”

  “Is Shelly finding coverage for me?”

  Relieved that Catherine had accepted her story, Glory resolved to ask Tal if she could tell all to Catherine after the trip. “Already done. You might want to talk her about lunch coverage if you and Pryce have plans, though.”

  Catherine grinned. “He can tough it out. We’re spending the weekend together anyway.”

  • •

  Shortly before noon, Tal got off the elevator and, nodding at Glory, pointed to William Kingston’s office. “He in?”

  “You just caught him.”

  Tal walked into his step-brother’s office and quietly closed the door. They had always been close. After their first few years together, they stopped using the step- designation. William was good-looking, sophisticated, and charming. The perfect man to fill the job of president of a company that thrived on clients who liked personal contact. Something that did not interest Tal. The only drawback to William’s personality was accepting people at face value. He was always willing to believe the best in people.

  William was wearing golf clothes and barely raised his eyebrows when Tal closed the door.

  “Hot client prospect?” Tal asked, indicating the golf attire.

  William grinned. “Yeah, life’s tough. I have a one o’clock tee time at Inglewood.”

  “Sounds like old money.”

  “Very old. Want to come? I can always wangle another guest invitation.”

  “No thanks. I’m here to discuss a problem.”

  His brother nodded. “I heard about the gas line failure. Don’t we have a maintenance contract for that sort of thing?”

  Tal shook his head. “That’s minor compared to this.”

  He outlined the situation, showing William the label, then concluded. “I’ll gather all the information I can for both sets of authorities, here and there.” He held up his hand at the concerned look on his brother’s face. “I can’t just sit here and hope for a good outcome from the Antiguan locals. And there’s always a possibility someone at Kingston’s is behind it. I’m not taking any chances.”

  William frowned and pushed out a breath. “I understand your wanting to get personally involved. This could hurt us on a lot of levels, but do you really think it might have started here?”

  Tal slipped the label into his shirt pocket. “That’s what I’m going to try and find out. Until I do, keep it quiet. You’re the only one I can trust with this.”

  “Done,” William said. “Have you got somebody to work with there?”

  This was where it got sticky. Tal did not want to tell William he was taking his executive assistant to Antigua, so he hedged. “I hired someone who’s familiar with the area; knows their way around the island.”

  William leaned back. “Good. You’ll fill me in on Tuesday?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Tal returned to his office and made the flight and hotel reservations. He spent the rest of the day prioritizing his workload and delegating what he could for the short term. He also left instructions for all customer service emails and snail mail to remain unopened until he returned. The last response to his list of emails was on its way when someone tapped on his door.

  He was surprised when Alyssia opened it.

  She looked around the room, but stayed by the door. “I came to see if the offer to visit that strawberry farm in Carnation tomorrow is still open.”

  Tal couldn’t hold back his sappy grin. “It is. You’ll need to change clothes first because it’s a real working farm. Do you want to leave from here, or should I drop by your place around 1:30? We’ll have to be on the road by then to make the appointment.”

  Alyssia looked like she would change her mind at his stream of information. She started to back out, a half smile in place. “My condo is fine. See you then.”

  • •

  He chose his clothes carefully the next morning. A new tan shirt with skinny red stripes, good jeans, and brown lace-up ankle boots.

  After two hours at work, he couldn’t take it any longer and called Glory to share the good news. “Guess who accepted my invitation to visit the strawberry farm today?”

  “Hey, congratulations. Things are looking up.” Her voice trailed off.

  “You can do better than that,” he teased.

  “Sorry. I’m trying to get ahead for the two days off. That’s really great news.”

  “I’ll give you the rundown Thursday morning. Come down for coffee?”

  “Sure. I’ll be there around ten.”

  • •

  Tal approached the block of Belltown condos, his face into the wind. It was coming off Elliot Bay and smelled strongly of brine. He was impressed at the revival of the old downtown Seattle neighborhood. The metamorphosis had taken years, but the results were amazing.

  Alyssia lived a lot closer to the water than he, but Tal liked his view better. He whistled as he opened the door. The real estate guy Catherine had invited to his place last Sunday specialized in upscale residential properties. Tal overheard him talking to Pryce after Alyssia left. The least expensive unit in this building was $350,000.

  From the location of Alyssia’s condo in the building, hers was not one of the cheap units. He gave the concierge in the lobby his name and Alyssia confirmed his visit.

  He took the elevator up and up, then found and knocked on her door, swiping his hands on his jeans.

  Alyssia answered and gave him a brilliant smile. “Come in. I’m almost ready.”

  Tal walked in to a spacious, ultra-modern room. Wide expanses of bleached wood floors were covered in odd-shaped area rugs pieced together in shades of turquoise and green. Black and white deeply tufted leather furniture and glass-over-chrome tables made up the seating area. The whole effect was sterile. No personal items occupied any surface. He thought of his own place, with pictures and small memorabilia from his trips. And Glory’s house, not overcrowded with tchotchkes, but like his, with items that recalled happy memories.

  Alyssia came back into the room. “Nice, isn�
��t it?”

  “Yes, very.”

  “I had it done by Jennings, Grant, and Bransom. Russell Bransom himself oversaw the design. They did a fabulous piece on him in Northwest Architectural Homes last year. Did you see it?”

  Tal scanned the room again, trying to see something that made it look lived in. “No, but you’re a lucky girl.”

  Alyssia beamed. “Thanks. Well, I’m ready.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  He’d noticed Alyssia’s red high-heeled sandals when he came in. “Your pretty sandals could get dirty when we tour the strawberry farm. I can wait if you want to change.”

  She pressed her lips together in a funny, almost defensive look. “I don’t own any footwear suitable for trekking through dirt. These will have to do.”

  Hadn’t he been clear they’d be touring a farm? Add her apathy toward suppliers to their differing tastes in food, home furnishings, and clothes.

  In the end, the fact that he was finally getting her to notice him won out. He really didn’t know enough about her, aside from the superficial, to drop the whole effort. An effort, were he honest with himself, that involved spending time with Glory.

  He pushed that thought aside, but not before admitting his friend Nate might be right about Tal’s paint-by-number approach to marriage. He also conceded that Alyssia wasn’t used to tramping around farms. “I’ll deal with the supplier and bring you some samples. It’s peak strawberry season.”

  Alyssia shrugged. “I’m not all that fond of fruit.”

  The drive to Carnation was pleasant. Tal let Alyssia take the lead on their conversations even though he was bored by some of the topics. She talked mostly about upscale friends on Mercer Island. “The boating set,” she called them. They were going to have a string of parties this summer, starting on the Fourth of July. He thought at first she might be leading up to asking him to be her escort and he tried to sound enthusiastic. But it was hard when he had nothing in common with them except his acquaintance with Alyssia. Those conversations petered out, but not before Tal wondered if Alyssia wore her skimpy sandals getting on and off boats with her Mercer Island friends.