Safe Harbor: A Cold Creek Homecoming

by Sherryl Woods

  “We’re going to take care of everything,” Drew said more loudly. “Go on home now. Tina and I will discuss this and come up with a plan.”

  But as Drew drove the shaken Tina to Harrington Industries, they were both silent. Not even the clear, sparkling sky or wind-whipped water cheered her as it usually did as they drove along curving Flagler Drive. She didn’t have a single idea about how to go about convincing the state that she wasn’t ripping off her friends, taking their scanty resources to pad her already extensive bank balance. The whole thing was absurd, and yet Edward Grant had taken the facts and twisted them into what he apparently considered a believable con artist’s scheme.

  During her childhood, Tina had seen many of her elderly neighbors affected by such unscrupulous individuals. She could understand Mr. Grant’s transformation from friendliness to chilly distrust. Clearly, he too had seen all too many situations in which the elderly were abused, either financially, psychologically or both. How could she make him see that there was a difference, that their household was filled with a protective warmth and love? Would he be able to tell, as Drew had, simply by walking through the door?

  And it had come to this because of a few anonymous letters and Drew’s uninformed actions. She scowled over at him.

  “I want you at my house at eight o’clock.”

  He grinned. “Great. We can talk afterward. What’s Grandmother Sarah fixing for dinner tonight?”

  “No dinner. No talking. I meant in the morning.”

  “Why?”

  “Because when those inspectors start counting bathrooms and interviewing my friends, I want you to watch.”

  “To make sure they don’t say or do anything crazy again?” he said.

  “No. So you can see my world falling apart.”

  “Maybe we should go for coffee and talk about this now,” Drew suggested. “You seem upset.”

  “Upset? I’m more than upset,” she retorted, her eyes flashing. “In fact, if I weren’t trying very hard to be a lady, I’d tell you in no uncertain terms exactly what I think of you and your meddling.”

  “I think you’ve made your point anyway,” he said dryly.

  “Good.”

  Not only was she furious and frustrated by a bureaucracy that allowed no room for human compassion, she was also mad as hell because the man who’d stirred up this hornet’s nest still made her pulse race.

  Then again, maybe one’s pulse was supposed to race when she was contemplating murder.

  When she got out of Drew’s car, she glowered at him and slammed the door so hard that the sports car that could hug a curve at ninety miles an hour bounced on its expensive racing tires. Drew flinched, but she had a feeling he was smiling as she stalked away. She also thought she heard him murmur something about spunk.

  Damn the man! Before this was over, she’d show him the real meaning of the word.

  Chapter Five

  The swift, silent ride to the penthouse of the Harrington Industries tower in West Palm Beach did nothing to soothe Tina’s fury, despite the spectacular view she had from the glass elevator of the inland waterway and the pastel Palm Beach skyline. Normally that view, shimmering in the soft morning sunlight like a Monet painting, took her breath away, but today she was hardly even aware of it.

  She was still seething as she marched down the hall to her office, her back ramrod straight. The language she was muttering under her breath would have appalled Grandmother Sarah.

  Outside the double mahogany doors on which her name was displayed on a discreet brass plaque, she paused and took a deep breath. Determined not to carry her rotten mood through those doors, she plastered a cheerful smile on her face. It lasted approximately fifteen seconds.

  “Thank God,” Jennifer Kramer breathed when Tina walked in. Normally cool and self-possessed, with twenty-five years’ experience as an executive assistant, Jennifer right now looked wild-eyed. Tina didn’t have to ask why.

  All six phone lines were ringing at once. There was already a stack of pink message slips on the corner of Jennifer’s desk including, Tina noted as she flipped through them, two inquiries from reporters, thereby proving once again that it didn’t take long for bad news to get around. Her encounter with DCF just might have set a speed record, though.

  As if that weren’t bad enough, one of the company’s directors was pacing the outer office, a fierce scowl on his face. His face was beet red , indicating he’d been fuming quite a while.

  Tina took one look at what was going on. She tore up the messages, put the calls on hold, ordered her frazzled assistant to take a coffee break and glowered at Mr. John J. Parsons III until his face turned to a more normal skin tone. Then she waved him into her office, gestured to a chair and took the call on the first line.

  She twirled her swivel chair away from Mr. Parsons to gaze out the window at the water as she talked. She rather wished she were on one of the majestic sailboats skimming past. She didn’t even much care where it was headed as long as it was away from the irritatingly sexy Drew Landry and the problems he’d brought down on her head at the worst possible time.

  “Yes, Mr. Davis,” she said politely to the caller’s loudspoken inquiry about his minimal dividend check. The man owned a hundred shares of stock and behaved as though he held the controlling interest in the company. He always demanded to speak to her. Most of the time she could deal with him, but today he was sorely testing what remained of her patience. She was absolutely astonished that her tone was actually civil.

  “No, Mr. Davis,” she said. “I’m sure it will all be straightened out. I’ll have my assistant check into it right away. Thank you so much for calling, Mr. Davis. It was good to talk to you.”

  It took every bit of willpower in her to keep from adding, “Go to hell, Mr. Davis.” Only an image of Grandmother Sarah’s horror and Gerald’s disapproval kept her from doing it.

  Gerald had believed that every stockholder, as well as every customer, deserved courtesy and prompt, reliable service. It was why Harrington Industries had survived the softening of the tech market. There were incredible, well-publicized stories of the lengths to which Harrington Industries would go to satisfy its customers, including the time Gerald had flown halfway across the country and installed the software himself to meet a deadline. Tina was not about to ruin that reputation by snapping back at a man whose calls to her were probably the highlight of his lonely day. She made a note to have David check into Mr. Davis’s problem and get back to him.

  She managed to be equally pleasant to Kathryn Sawyer, who had the personality of a barracuda and a more substantial five percent of Harrington Industries’ stock. Tina was going to need that five percent if her ouster came to a vote at the stockholders’ meeting at the end of the month. They had even moved the annual meeting to New York to accommodate Kathryn the Great, as she was referred to in the society pages. She was hosting a charity gala there the night after the meeting and couldn’t possibly get away, her personal assistant had huffily informed Tina.

  Thanks to Gerald, Tina held more stock than any other single stockholder, but if they all teamed up against her in a coup attempt, Kathryn Sawyer could provide the swing votes Tina needed to remain in power. Tina would have moved the meeting to the middle of the Sahara, if Kathryn had wanted it there. Kathryn, unfortunately, knew it.

  “Tina, these next few weeks are critical,” Kathryn warned unnecessarily. No one knew that better than Tina. “I’ve already been approached by some individuals from the board about whether I’d support a change at the top.”

  Tina sucked in her breath. “And what did you say?”

  “I said I was withholding judgment, but for the moment I was inclined to continue backing you. Don’t make me regret that.”

  “Kathryn, I assure you that I’m doing everything in my power to keep things running smoothly,”
she said, rubbing her temples. A dull throb had started in her head.

  The thought of being ousted as head of Harrington Industries had kept Tina awake nights for months now. Although she was the only official nominee for chairman, this was not the first time she’d heard of the rumblings that she was too inexperienced to hold the job. She feared if this DCF business got out of hand, the rumblings could turn into a roar. Even before this had started, she had worriedly prowled the grounds of the estate at three in the morning almost as frequently as Mr. Kelly. She, however, was awake, though sometimes she wished she weren’t.

  When she’d first been promoted to the position of Gerald’s executive assistant years earlier, there had been rumors that she’d only moved up by sleeping with the boss. Many of his senior officers had resented what they considered to be her unearned access to the company’s chief executive officer. When she and Gerald had married, the stories had gotten increasingly vicious.

  No one stopped to take into account how hard she worked. No one considered how much Gerald loved his company. He would never have risked its well-being by putting someone incapable in charge. Tina was inexperienced, but she’d been a fast learner. It was true that she’d had to replace Gerald far too soon, but she understood his vision and she knew how to carry it out. The bottom line reflected that, but there were still those who could be swayed by her lack of experience or innuendos about her capabilities. The bottom line might not matter to those individuals whose actions were tied to emotions, rather than business sense. She could be replaced.

  Tina sighed wearily as she listened only partially to Kathryn Sawyer. She had to resolve this mess Drew Landry had gotten her into before it blew up in the press. Then she could count on the company’s annual report to speak for itself and her future at the helm of Harrington Industries would be assured, just as Gerald had wanted.

  And just as she deserved! That vindication meant a lot to the insecure girl that still lurked inside the successful woman. Oh, she had enough faith in herself to believe that she could work her way to the top again at some other company, but Harrington Industries had been Gerald’s legacy. For that reason alone, she had to succeed.

  When she’d heard all of Kathryn Sawyer’s monologue and promised her that the luncheon planned for the stockholders would indeed be a suitably elegant feast, she hung up the phone and turned reluctantly to Mr. Parsons.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked, giving him her full attention.

  “I’ve been hearing things, young lady.”

  Tina blanched. Please, God, not already. “What things, Mr. Parsons?” she asked cautiously.

  “Talk is we’re getting into something new, something downright un-American.”

  Tina closed her eyes and counted to ten, decided she needed to count to a hundred if she was to hear this conversation out and turned back toward the window. It could have been worse, she reminded herself. He could know about Sarah and the others. When she turned back at last, she asked calmly, “Mr. Parsons, I’m not aware of anything like that. Could you be more specific?”

  “Germs, Mrs. Harrington. Germs.”

  Tina had to choke back a sudden desire to chuckle. She gulped and said, “Germs, Mr. Parsons? I don’t understand.”

  “I hear we’re selling germs to those bloody terrorists. Now you tell me, is that something a fine company like this ought to be doing?”

  “Absolutely not, Mr. Parsons,” she agreed wholeheartedly.

  He eyed her warily. “Then there’s no truth to it? You’re sure about that?”

  “I am absolutely certain about it. We’re still in the computer business. There’s not a germ in the place.”

  He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good, Mrs. Harrington. I must say I’m relieved.” He hefted himself out of his chair and waved his cigar at her. “I’ll be on my way now. Have to get to the club in time for lunch. Keep up the good work.”

  Fortunately he was gone before she had to manage another comment. She wasn’t sure she could have gotten a single word past the laughter that was bubbling up. She was roaring when Jennifer peeked in the door, her eyes bright with curiosity.

  “Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly.

  Tina laughed even harder until tears were streaming down her cheeks. She tried to answer and couldn’t. She gestured for her assistant to come in.

  “What was that all about?” Jennifer asked as she came in.

  “He was afraid we were climbing into bed with terrorists.”

  Jennifer blinked and stared. “Are you dating someone I need to run a security check on?”

  “Hardly,” Tina retorted, then thought of Drew. She wondered what a security check of him would reveal. She really knew very little about the man except what Sarah had read in the gossip columns and the occasional items she’d seen in the Wall Street Journal.

  Drew Landry had a reputation for gobbling up failing companies and turning them into moneymakers. The possibility that he might be viewing Harrington Industries as an acquisition flitted through her mind and just as quickly was put to rest. The company was not failing, and Drew had never even mentioned Harrington Industries to her. He’d only been interested in her personal life.

  Jennifer sat down in the chair Mr. Parsons had vacated and demanded, “Hey, wake up. Explain about the terrorists, please. I have grandchildren to think about.”

  “If I understood Mr. Parsons correctly, he was afraid we were about to sell a formula for germicidal warfare to foreign agents.”

  “Is that what Tim is working on in that lab?” Jennifer asked, wide-eyed.

  Tina glowered at her. “Don’t be cute.”

  “Well, you never know with an inventor.”

  “Our inventors still deal in computers.”

  “Thank God. I need this job.”

  “You’ll keep it if you’ll get me a strawberry milk shake and two aspirins in the next five minutes.”

  “Coming right up,” she said, bustling from the room. “By the way, those reports you wanted on the software are on your desk.”

  “Thanks, Jen.”

  When the fifty-year-old woman, who’d been an enormous help to Tina in the months following Gerald’s death, had gone, Tina picked up the reports, stared at them blindly and put them right back down. An image of Drew as he climbed from his pool and stared at her boldly flashed through her mind. It was an image that stirred an unsettling ache of need deep in her abdomen. After a lifetime of caution, of planning and struggling, Drew made her want to take risks.

  She hadn’t reacted that way to a man either before or after Gerald. He had been her first love, and the magic between them had been so sweetly satisfying that she hadn’t looked at another man since his death. Not even Martin, though they’d been dating for months now.

  She remembered the day she and Gerald had met as clearly as if it had been yesterday. She was already working in the Harrington Industries management training program. He’d sent for her one day, only a few months after she’d joined the firm. She’d gotten off the elevator with her knees shaking, feeling exactly like a terrified school kid who’d been ordered to the principal’s office. She’d sat in his outer office, oblivious to Jennifer’s smiles of encouragement, and tried to imagine what awful thing she’d done and whether it had been bad enough to get her fired.

  Instead, Gerald had praised her report. He thought it showed initiative as well as an astute understanding of the computer industry’s future. They had discussed it for hours, until finally he’d realized that it was past dinnertime. He’d invited her to join him for a late supper. It turned out to be the first of many such long, quiet evenings during which he built her confidence and taught her everything he knew.

  When it evolved into something more, Tina had thought she’d been granted the world. It had been a rude awakening to discover that not everyone was equal
ly thrilled with her good fortune, but Gerald had given her the strength to ignore their jealous insinuations.

  “Are you happy with me?” he’d asked.

  “Blissfully.”

  “Then what do they matter?” he’d always said, then kissed her and caressed her until her doubts were banished by his gentle loving.

  Tina sighed when she heard the tap on the door. So much joy and so little time to share it, but she’d never forget. When the tap came again, she forced aside the past and returned to the present.

  “Come on in, Jennifer.”

  Her assistant slipped through the narrowest possible opening, then shut the door behind her, her expression dazed.

  “There is an absolute hunk outside and he insists that you two have an appointment,” she said in a hushed voice.

  “Do we?”

  “There are no hunks on your calendar, but if I were you, I’d ask him in anyway.”

  Tina grinned. Jennifer was notoriously interested in her social life—or lack of one. “Does this hunk have a name?”

  “Drew Landry.”

  “I should have known,” Tina mumbled.

  “What?”

  “Never mind.”

  “Shall I send him in?”

  “Why not? He’s already ruined my morning. I might as well give him a shot at my afternoon.”

  The door creaked open. “I heard that and I take exception,” Drew said, marching in with Tina’s milk shake container and her aspirin. He grinned at Jennifer. “Thanks for pleading my case.”

  “Anytime. If she turns you down, I’m free for lunch.”

  Drew’s smile widened as he gazed at Tina. “Are you going to turn me down?”

  “You haven’t asked me anything yet.”

  “True. I want you to play hooky and spend the afternoon with me.”

  “That didn’t sound like a question.”

  “Actually it was more in the nature of an order. You’ve been working much too hard.”

  Tina’s brows lifted quizzically as Jennifer openly listened, her eyes sparkling with interest.