SNOWFIRES

by Caroline Clemmons

  “Princess?” He cupped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “Tell me what’s happened.”

  “I learned that Dad had been embezzling. I remember now you kind of hinted at it when you told me the cash reserve was gone, but I didn’t pick up on it then. I thought you meant Dad had mismanaged the money.”

  She sniffled then raised her head to meet his gaze. “He mismanaged all right, after he stole it from his own family.” She took a deep breath. This was the hardest part to deal with. “Vernon and his staff thought I knew. Worse, they thought I helped Dad cover it up.”

  He pulled her close and she nuzzled into his shoulder. “Aw, Princess. Surely not. Everyone knows you’re as honest as they come.”

  She needed to hear that more than he could know. His embrace strengthened and soothed her. “Vernon same as said when he told me it was a relief to know I wasn’t involved. That means he had thought I was. No other way to interpret it.”

  She sat up. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting with the production crew.”

  “I did, at four. I made it brief and came to take you to dinner if you feel well enough to go out.”

  She looked at her watch. “Five-thirty.” She hopped up. “Darn, my grandparents will be here in half an hour.”

  “I’ll take them with us.” He tried to pull her back onto his lap.

  “Trent, I’d love to go with you, but I have to get something straightened out with my grandfather. It’s not going to be pretty, and I guarantee it’s going to get loud, so you’d probably better go.” She kissed him. “I’ll take a rain check.”

  He stood and pulled her to him. She leaned against him and he delivered a long, hot kiss that left her melting.

  “Okay, but I hate leaving you alone when you’re upset.”

  “Trust me, you do not want to see the fit I’m going to pitch when my grandfather arrives. He’s deceived me and I want to know the reason why.”

  She walked him to the door and stood in the open doorway to watch him drive away in his old clunker car. Knowing he drove that car yet gave enough money to a children’s home to be called a benefactor bumped him up another notch or two in her esteem. A hunk with a kind heart. What a guy.

  If only he weren’t also a gambler.

  She hardened her heart against him. Damned if she would ever hook up permanently with a gambler. Once was more than enough, thank you very much. Today certainly had driven that nail in the coffin.

  Before she could close the door, she spotted the taxi turn into the drive and figured she had more heart hardening to do. She waited until it stopped and her grandparents emerged. Grandpa carried an overnight bag in one hand and with the other guided Nana up the steps. Both looked worried.

  Her grandmother hugged her and whispered, “Remember your grandfather’s heart condition, dear.”

  Holly didn’t hug her grandfather. Instead, she put her fists at her hips. "Start explaining.”

  Marnie hurried in. “Mrs. Ila Mae, Mr. Joe Bob, how nice to see you. Let me take your coats and that bag. Can I get you refreshments?”

  Grandpa shook his head. “No, we’re fine.”

  “Then I’ll put everything in your room.” Marnie hurried off to the downstairs room that had been converted to a bedroom so her grandfather wouldn’t have to climb stairs.

  Nana took her arm. “Let’s go sit down, Holly. This might take a while and my feet are already swollen in these pointy-toed shoes. Who brought these back, anyway?”

  They walked into the den, where Marnie had lit the fireplace, as if she’d known where they’d end up. When they’d seated themselves, Holly glared at her grandfather.

  “All right. Start with when Harley told you Dad had embezzled.”

  Grandpa shook his head. “No, I’ve got to start back before then. Back to the first.” He shifted on his chair and glanced at Nana before he continued. “Your mother, our Yvonne, was a beautiful, intelligent woman. But she was as stubborn as you are. Once she set her head to marry your father, we couldn’t change her mind.”

  This was news to Holly. “You didn’t want them to marry? But I thought you and Grandpa Tucker encouraged it."

  Nana looked at her hands. “The Tuckers encouraged it. They thought Yvonne was just what Walter Jr. needed to ground him, to settle him down.”

  “I see. But he didn’t settle down, did he?” Holly had heard stories of the dangerous escapades her dad had indulged in before she was born. Daredevil car races, cliff diving, all foolish chances.

  “No, but your coming along quieted him a little.” Grandpa stroked his chin in thought. “We thought he might finally grow up, but it didn’t last. He found the horses and the slots and every other kind of gambling.”

  Nana shook her head. “It was a sickness, but he didn’t want to be cured. Yvonne begged him to get counseling.”

  Grandpa met Holly’s gaze. “At the time our Yvonne died, she was a miserable woman. Oh, she loved you and you brought her joy, but her marriage was a shambles. She wouldn’t consider divorce—said she’d made a vow and she’d keep it. I made my own vow then that the same thing would never happen to you. Ila Mae and I promised ourselves we’d see you married to the right man or die trying.”

  “Grandpa, you’re getting sidetracked here.” Hadn’t she heard them talk enough about her taking too much time to find a husband? They’d told her countless times she should find a good man and settle down. She darned sure didn’t need more of that now.

  “No, no, I’m not. All ties in.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I watched Walter marry that Geneva woman and saw how she treated you. After your dad lost your home, it was the last straw. I could’ve killed him.”

  He glanced at Nana. “Then I had that little flare up with my heart and had to take things easy. Seemed the perfect time to move to the ranch and relax, but I wanted you safe with a nice home no one could take from you.”

  Flare up? He’d had a heart attack. “And I appreciate it, Grandpa. I know how hard it was for you, for all of us.”

  He looked at her again. “When Vernon told me Walter was dipping into the reserve, that did it. I told Vernon I’d take care of it. I started looking around for someone to replace your father. I figured I could ease him out, tell him I was stepping back in if I could get you to vote with me, and I think I could have. But then he up and died.”

  Thank goodness she hadn’t had to choose between her father and grandfather. Though she had to admit she’d have listened to her grandfather. “And you didn’t have to look for anyone because Trent Macleod bought the shares.” She saw her grandfather’s expression.

  He waited, watched.

  “Oh, no! You recruited Trent, didn’t you?”

  He nodded. “Had to. Carl was the man handling Trent’s investments. Told me how long he’d invested, how he gave to charities, never guessed wrong. Well, almost never. Built him a sizable bundle from nothing, just like Walter, Sr., and I had. I figured a man who could do that without breaking the law was the man for us.”

  “But why didn’t you tell me? Why did you let me think bad things about him, fight him, if you hand picked him?” She sounded pleading, but she had to know.

  “Didn’t want to trouble you with all this.”

  “Trouble me?” She leaped to her feet. “Grandpa, what do you call me juggling finances since I was old enough to add two columns because my father kept us in trouble? I’m an officer and shareholder of Marvel. If there was trouble, I should have known what was going on.”

  Her grandfather raised a hand and motioned her to sit down. “Now, Holly, you know your grandmother and I are awful proud of you. You’ve done a bang up job at Marvel. But you need to be thinking about finding a husband and settling down and making us some great grandchildren. That’s another reason I picked Trent Macleod.”

  This was too much. She thought she might explode. Like a character in a cartoon where the top of her head flew off and steam shot up.

  She wanted to
shout, but she held onto her control. “You picked him as a husband for me?” She recalled Trent’s sudden appearance for Thanksgiving.

  Forget control. Her voice rose, “You set me up with Trent Macleod! How could you do this to me?”

  Grandpa frowned. “I don’t see why you’re so all-fired mad. You don’t have to marry him unless you want. I figured I’d pick a winner and if there was any chemistry there it’d work itself out. If not, we’d still have a darn good CEO.”

  “I’m a person, Grandpa, a businesswoman. I have a degree and years of experience that qualify me for my job. How can you treat me as some simple-minded, air-headed wallflower who has to be protected from facts or who can’t understand them?”

  “Now, Holly, you’re getting awful upset over this. Calm down and see it from my side. I started this company and I have a right to do whatever I think is best for it. In a way I started you, too, and I have the right to do what I think is best for you. If the same thing works for both, then where’s the harm?”

  There was no answer. None.

  Over and over when her father or friends had let her down, she had counted on her Grayson grandparents as the two people in the world she could always depend on. In their own misguided way these two people loved her more than anyone else—except maybe her mom. They’d given her all they could—besides their love they’d given her this very home, a car, clothes, anything they thought she needed or even wanted.

  Grandpa had deceived her. But she had to face the facts about her grandfather. Nothing she could say would make this chauvinistic dinosaur understand how he betrayed her. It would only offend or hurt Grandpa and upset Nana. And why hurt either of her grandparents? They wouldn’t change. Probably couldn’t change. Why fight battles she couldn’t win?

  She threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine. I’ll run up and get my coat and we can go eat. You pick the place.”

  Holly wondered if Trent was in on this conspiracy? Was he aware he’d been hand picked for her? Was she part of the deal between him and Grandpa?

  As she climbed the stairs she heard her grandfather’s stage whisper. “Whew. Must be her time of the month.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Holly’s grandparents decided to stay over for a few days and visit with friends and shop. She let them amuse themselves and threw herself into work. Visions of Trent in and out of his borrowed tux threatened her concentration, but she pushed her lustful thoughts aside.

  She’d been in negotiations with Marvel’s insurance carrier and they’d dragged until this week. At a staff meeting on Wednesday, called especially for this purpose, she fought to get the plan she wanted approved without an increase in employee premiums.

  Vernon opposed her. “Listen, I don’t want to pay an increase any more than the next person, but this means the company has to fork over money instead. It’s not there.”

  To her surprise, Trent came to her defense. “It will be. We can’t give the employees a raise and then take it away by raising health care deductions.”

  The rest of the officers argued and the meeting dragged on for an over an hour. Finally, Trent rapped on the table.

  “We’ve seen the figures and the projections for the company. Talking it to death won’t change the charts. We’ll take a vote now.”

  Vernon wouldn’t look at Holly when he voted no. In fact, he hadn’t spoken to her privately since she’d been in his office on Monday. She supposed his incorrect assumptions embarrassed him. The knowledge he’d thought her party to her father’s misdeeds still upset her.

  Her package passed by one vote.

  Lila called Trent out as the meeting ended. Holly had wanted to talk to him alone and his departure deflated her hope of stolen kisses and his embrace. She hid her disappointment and thanked each person who’d voted for the benefits. Sara helped her gather up their charts and extra papers. They walked back to Holly’s office and she saw Trent rush for the elevator.

  They hadn’t made love since Saturday night at Trent’s apartment after the ball. With Geneva and the girls gone, and as soon as her grandparents left, Trent could stay the night with her if he chose. If she chose.

  And she did. The new sense of freedom exhilarated her. On her own, answering to no one but herself. As soon as she got home, she would move her things into the master bedroom. She pictured herself entwined with Trent on the king-sized bed. Heat rushed through her with such force her charts spiraled to the floor.

  Sara shot her a puzzled look and stopped to help her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not acting like yourself lately.”

  Holly couldn’t stop the giggle that burst from her. “On the contrary. I think this might finally be the real me.”

  ***

  On the day of his big meeting with Amberfield, Trent unbuttoned his jacket and dropped the morning newspapers on his desk before he started the coffeemaker. He was in early even for him, ready to dazzle George Denton and his cohorts from Amberfield. Trent had slept poorly. His dreams last night had alternated between hot dreams of Holly and nightmares about the loss of the Amberfield contract.

  Damn, he’d missed being with Holly the last few days. How could she have gotten under his skin in so short a time? Short? He admitted she’d haunted him since the first day they’d met. Mind blowing sex only intensified his obsession for her. Tonight he’d take her to a fancy restaurant for dinner to celebrate the new contract—provided, of course, it happened.

  He’d convince the Amberfield people that Marvel could move ahead with the times. Lord, her had too. A contract with Amberfield would open new doors with other companies. Tension had his body taut as an anchor cable. A glance at his watch told him he had time for a cup of coffee and his newspapers before anyone else came in.

  Trent read the Dallas Morning News then folded it and laid it aside. He flipped to the business pages of the Dallas Daily Chronicle. Rarely did he bother with the second place wannabe. Occasionally, like today, he checked the Chronicle’s version of industry news. When he looked at the paper, he stared in disbelief.

  Holy shit, why now?

  The old photo of him with the black eye from his brawl with the art thieves stared back at him from three columns. The headline Pirate Steals Local Treasure blazed across the top of the page in large print. He checked the byline and saw Larry Hassle had written the story, the sorry bastard.

  Hot liquid scorched Trent’s hand and he realized he’d squeezed his Styrofoam cup into shreds. Coffee ran through his fingers and spread across his desktop.

  “Damn that Hassle.” He leaped up and rushed for napkins to blot the spreading brown stain. Of all days for this to come out, it had to be just before the meeting.

  Lila rushed in with a section of the paper. “Oh, my, Trent, did you see this”—she tossed her pages into the trash and hurried to help Trent—“I see you have.” She only used his first name if no one else was around, though he’d told her to call him by it all the time. She had her ideas about propriety and wouldn’t budge.

  Trent looked up from mopping at the mess with a handful of napkins. “See my past dredged up, but told with a vicious slant that makes it appear I’ve stolen every dime I have? Yeah, I saw it.”

  “No.” Lila shook her head. “He carefully avoided accusing you in actual words that would open the publisher to a libel suit. But you’re right about the tone.” Lila scooped soggy napkins into the trash can she’d positioned at the edge of his desk.

  “It alluded I’d double-crossed the thieves both times, wormed my way into Swenson’s confidence, and then stole his ship when Swenson mysteriously died. And left the question of his death hanging, as if I could have caused his untimely death from an aneurysm.”

  “You’re right, it made you sound like the worst kind of thief and almost an unconvicted murderer.” Lila brought Trent a fresh cup of coffee.

  “But I can take the heat. It’s the end of the story that speculates on the precarious position of Marvel that’s most damaging. It prophesies the company has
n’t enough reserves to last out the year. Hassle has slammed the door shut on Marvel.”

  And on Macleod. I’m a goner now. Too.

  Lila shook her head and met his gaze. “Where did this person, this Larry Hassle get this stuff? Where would that weasel get this information to twist?”

  Relieved that Lila hadn’t believed the spirit of the piece, Trent shrugged. He’d only told one person that information.

  Holly.

  She’d opposed him on the Amberfield contract but he thought she’d changed her mind. Or at least taken a wait-and- see stand. Could she have confided in that lowlife Hassle to sabotage the deal?

  Not her style, he decided.

  He hoped.

  He prayed.

  Lila paused in her scrubbing. “This sounds like it came from someone who had a grudge against you? Any ideas?”

  “Not many people know that much about me.” Holly again. Who else?

  “Well, make a list.” Lila grinned. “We’ll check them out and get a hit man on the one who did this.”

  She could smile, but it wasn’t her reputation spread out across the news page. “I might make the hit myself if I figure out who’s responsible.”

  Holly rushed in, her cheeks pink and the newspaper in her hand. “Trent, have you seen this?” She glanced at the soggy newspapers on his desk. “Oh.”

  Holly held up the article and tapped the photo with her finger. “Besides me, who knows this much about you?”

  “Joe Bob.” He sank to his desk chair and groaned. “Damn. And Carl Winston.”

  Sparks shot from Holly’s beautiful blue eyes. “Geneva’s behind this! Oh, she threatened to get even when I kicked her out of the house, but this is more than I expected even of her.”

  Lila paused. “You gave your stepmother her walking papers? Good for you, dear.”

  He shook his head. “Well, they say there’s no fury like a woman scorned. Guess she was getting even with both of us.”

  Holly’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it, that bitch did come on to you and you turned her down. That’s why she was so mad at you. It had nothing to do with my father or his death.”