by Rena Manse
“Under anonymity, my nephew died of a drug overdose. To the media, heart failure. The heart failure was caused by drugs, but they didn’t need to know that.”
Living under the radar. Nice. “So why is Revealing Raes changing management?”
“Changing management? We’ve had a death. That and the drug overdose are one and the same.”
Ashley abruptly shifted back in her seat. She’d sensed his closeness before Aaron loomed overhead, practically inserting himself between her and Val’s chair.
“The top executive of this branch is dead, and the heads of the company have stepped in. My and Kavin’s extended presence isn’t something to take lightly, but it’s necessary. There are those in the media who’d love to distort the truth.”
Apparently so do CEOs. Ashley tried to hide her scowl at the confusing man.
Val shook her head. “I don’t like to worry about these things.”
“That’s why I’m taking you home, so you won’t have to. There’s no need for you to be around any of this.” He looked over Val’s head to Blondie. “Kavin and I are assessing the state of affairs Uncle Trent left behind. The publicity will die down soon enough.”
What was he talking about? He turned his attention to Ashley.
“The paraphernalia,” he said, as if speaking to her curiosity.
That didn’t explain a thing. His uncle’s drug use had nothing to do with her mother’s job. Something shook inside Ashley. There was more going on than met the eye. She tried to remember the exact words on that crinkled, piece of pink paper, and decided to keep the situation of her mother quiet from everyone until she knew what she was dealing with.
CHAPTER THREE
Getting situated on the plane, Aaron tried to decipher the turn of events. When they’d arrived at the airport, he never would have taken a second look if Valerie hadn’t instructed him to drive her wheelchair in that direction. Somehow, young and downright attractive weren’t what he’d envisioned for Val’s nurse. Was his grandmother serious?
Moving closer, wishful thinking temporarily sidetracked him. The woman possessed perfect features of high cheekbones, striking brown eyes, and lips that called his attention when she smiled. It didn’t matter that the corner of her bottom lip was in the habit of curling between her teeth—that he remembered from the garage.
When she’d finally acknowledged his presence, she’d treated him once more to a shy blush infused in almond-brown skin.
Couldn’t figure out the story below the neckline though. In confusion, he glanced across the aisle to take in the outfit. Luckily he’d had a good enough look at her figure in tight clothing to know what hid beneath today’s boxy blouse and slacks. But her presence posed a serious problem he needed to work out. She was here with Val, and she’d been in his company’s garage.
Two jobs? Or had this woman hunted him down through his grandmother?
Val said the nurse she hired was partial to working the nightshift, so perhaps Ashley’s position at Revealing had been part-time. And they’d fired her.
Aaron considered the possibilities. No answers presented themselves during this second encounter, but he remembered the glare in her eyes that day after he’d inquired about termination. He recognized the pink paper she’d carried as one of his polite requests to get out.
Buckling up, he made a mental note to have his cousin conduct a name check. No one left or took a leave without Kavin being notified, and he would have mentioned something if he knew of Ashley’s association. Especially at a time like this.
Aaron wished he’d done a thorough read of her history. All he’d heard was Ashley this and Ashley that. He’d instructed Val to provide the nurse’s information to his assistant for a background check—a person could never be too careful—and when Ashley came back clean, those words at the end of his assistant’s fax were all he had time to see.
He shook his head at the oversight. Still sharp as a tack, Grandmother took care of personal business so he didn’t poke his nose into affairs that didn’t involve Revealing. Their family lawyers took care of procuring Ashley’s work Visa. And again all he had time to read was the bottom line. Such a mistake wouldn’t happen again.
Sitting in the far seat, Ashley buckled his grandmother’s belt before giving Val’s hand a pat above the cast. Should have paid more attention to something other than a fabulous figure. He studied her distant gaze out the window.
Aaron traded flirts with his grandmother while they waited for the plane to start taxiing, and saw Ashley ping glances in his direction. Shy? Skittish? Scheming? It didn’t make a difference. She’d been at his place of business spitting fire, and now sat holding his grandmother’s hand as docile as a dove. He locked in on their joined fingers. Irritated, he met one of her glances with a warning, and watched her turn away.
Give him time, he’d destroy whatever scheme this woman had going. The plane pulled speed for liftoff, and his eyes fell to the long legs hidden beneath plain, dark pants. Better yet—he turned to the window, fed the corner of his mouth to a semi smile—just. Give. Him. Time.
Valrae fell asleep shortly after takeoff, and Ashley breathed easy, thankful for the buffer between her and Aaron across the aisle.
She’d never known any adult to outright dislike her on sight. Well, ogle first, then abhor, then ogle again. Make up your mind, mister. A second later, she worried she’d done the exact same thing. After two meetings, the man brought out opposite reactions.
At least his cousin seemed normal. Val explained Kavin held the Chief Operations Officer position at Revealing. Ashley couldn’t recall hearing the media getting wired over the irony; a blond haired, blue eyed kid and a hateful ogler running a cosmetics company catering to ethnic women. She supposed even with a universal clothing line, running a cosmetics business was still business no matter what color the clientele.
And of all the cosmetic companies in all the world, she ended up with…
Ashley leaned forward for one more view around the slumbering Valerie to steal a glimpse of Aaron’s profile.
Typing away.
With the management questions still up in the air, she wondered if she should get on the phone and run the situation by Christine and her mom. Before the plane touched down a couple of hours later, she’d decided to stay quiet. Who knew if she’d start the very rumors and negative publicity Val tried to avoid. If there was a breach, it wouldn’t come from her.
Distracted by her new dilemma, her attention drifted in and out during the stretch limo drive to the Gilyard home.
Val sighed dreamily as they cleared a long tree-lined driveway. “Home at last.”
Ashley glanced out the window. What rose in front of her was a great slab of carved art like a photo spread from The Wealthy Nest. Three floors of glass and white stone gleamed like a jewel, making the four-car garage bay off to the left look like a birdhouse. She searched the surrounding slopes and trees for any sign of neighbors. Nothing. Civilization hid behind the greens, and she smiled at the private setting while hearing the call of the ocean.
There were two sets of front doors; a large, elaborate set, probably avoided on a regular basis, and one with a ramp close to where they unloaded. A brown-haired, middle-aged woman bounded down the steps and greeted everyone. Together with Aaron and Ashley, she helped Val into her chair as they all listened to Val’s protests saying she wasn’t that much of an invalid.
Inside, Ashley let her eyes wander the cavernous entryway, ending on her patient who smiled up at her.
“How do you like it, dear?”
“You need an answer today?”
Val laughed. “Come. Wheel me over to the stairs.”
Ashley shot her a look.
“We have an elevator next to it. Aaron doesn’t like me taking the stairs.”
Hearing his name, she looked around, but found him nowhere in sight. She shifted her attention to the tall sweep of stairs, discovering she and the difficult man agreed on something.
So mu
ch to take in. Business first. Gawk later.
An elderly man carried luggage to Val’s room. With thinning, white hair, and probably pushing seventy, he stood six-foot-four at least, and looked fit for his age. Dressed in casual slacks and a long-sleeved polo shirt—which seemed all the rage for these people—he wrangled a cheerful hug from Val before showing Ashley to her room.
“You have Mr. Gilyard across the hall,” he informed her before he left.
Great. She stood alone on the lush carpet, closed her eyes and sighed. The place slept an army, and she got the room at the back of the house, fifteen feet from a man watching the ink dry on her dismissal papers.
Testing the mattress with a gentle bounce, she leaned back to peer diagonal across the hall toward the right. She could see the edge of Big Man’s door. Shivering, she took in the rest of her room. A sofa and a television sat in an open alcove to the left of her door. The balcony, showcasing an amazing view, opened on her extreme right.
She caught her reflection in the swivel stand-up mirror beside the huge bathroom. A rocking chair, a mirrored room-length closet, a desk, entertainment center, a laptop, stereo with music selection, TV... She collapsed onto her back. Add a chef and she’d never leave.
She stared at a gigantic ceiling fan as the zip of Val’s wheelchair entered the room. Ashley propped to an elbow. “If you’re ever thinking of sneaking up on me in that thing, you can forget it.”
Val chuckled. “I’m so glad you agreed to come. You know, you remind me of myself at your age. Such a familiar heart.”
“Thanks.” She looked around to hide her discomfort and panic. She’d envisioned a summer cottage, not this. “I’m glad to be here, but I wish you had told me about yourself. I would have brought more suitable clothes.”
“Suitable for what? Dress however you wish, and feel free to do as you wish. You have no restrictions while you’re here.”
She didn’t know how to take Val’s unbridled trust of her home. Her health was one thing, but Ashley never had free rein over anything so grand. “I feel embarrassed to ask, but, what do I call you?”
“What you’ve always called me, Val, Valerie.” She shrugged her good shoulder. “Valrae stuck from my nieces and nephews. Some of them couldn’t pronounce my name properly when they were babies. My husband thought it was clever. Revealing You became Revealing Raes. You’ve met Kavin. He’s my younger sister’s grandchild but he’s every bit my own. He always calls me Grandma Rae.”
“You have a lot of family history. I like that.”
“I am the history. I’ve survived a world war, lived with two playboy grandsons, and had a nephew who died of a heroin overdose. Money doesn’t shield you from life.”
“Life. I know him well. Took my car, my social life, and my peace of mind all in the same month.”
“Oh, that’s right, you’ll need a vehicle while you’re here. We arranged for an SUV. I’ll ask Richard to give you the keys.” At that moment, the tall man returned with her suitcases, and Val made her request before turning back to Ashley. “Don’t let the limousine fool you. We ordered it so I’d have enough room to stretch my leg. Aaron uses the Lexus or the Mercedes and I use the Cadillac. Well,” she indicated her left arm, “at least I used to.”
“I’m numb with shock, Val. But while I work my way out of it, you need to rest.”
“I wanted to show you around.”
“Later. I just gave you medication, and, I need to consult with your doctor.”
They made the trip back to Val’s room where Ashley helped her settle on the bed. Once finished, she walked across the open landing where built-in bookcases and a sitting area overlooked the ground floor. She glanced at titles as she made a quick call home, only to remember her father had gone to stay with her brother for a few days. She grinned. They were probably reminiscing about Michael’s childhood antics now that her brother was a new father.
After leaving a message on Michael’s home phone, she dialed her mother’s cell. She left a voicemail message there as well. Again with Christine. She gave up touching base, feeling like the victim of a time warp where she failed to exist in their world.
On her balcony, she arranged Val’s doctor appointment while admiring the fancy brick patio leading to a glistening kidney-shaped pool. The colorful garden and wide open areas of green grass stopped at the fence of trees that surrounded the house in a scenic circle. Beyond the small stretch of forest lay the beach and waving water.
She left her room, jogged downstairs, and headed in the general direction of the back of the house. That landscape warranted closer inspection but on her way her curiosity took her through more than one door. A theatre. Library. Locked. An open space lined with views of the garden. It could probably accommodate a hundred people for a sit-down meal. Hmh. But how does one find an exit?
The place was designed to keep people indoors. Stretching her hand toward another handle, she stopped short at an image shading the corner of her eye.
“Miss McKenny.”
A reprimanding undertone carried in the even voice. She turned to face Aaron Gilyard standing in the middle of the wide hall.
“Sneaking around my house?”
She felt, as much as watched, his approach, but rigidly shook her head. “I prefer the term ‘exploring’.”
He stared at her for a second more. “I’ll bet. No exploring your way into my garages. My vehicles can’t take your brand of marking your territory.”
His gaze lowered to her feet, making her toes curl in the peep-toe sandals. She kept silent, bowed her head at his dull wit, regretting she’d ever given in to her frustrations that day.
“How did this strange turn of events land you in my company’s garage and my home? You don’t work for me, not under Revealing anyway.”
Ashley peered at him, hoping an appeal to his sense of diplomacy would work. “I understand I’d given you the wrong impression and apologize for my behavior, Mr. Gilyard. Truly. But my mother’s been faithful to your company for nearly twenty years. She loves it. Now you’re pushing her out as if all her accomplishments mean nothing. When you saw me, I’d just found out. Obviously upset, and—”
“That pains me. Truly.” He stood for a second, and to her horror, it must have been to let his insult sink in as deeply as his penetrating gaze. His lips twitched before he walked away.
“I’ll give you pains, you fascist,” she muttered like a knife to his shoulder blades.
He wheeled round. “Excuse me?”
He heard that? “You don’t know pain ‘till you face it,” she spat. Her brain raced with her pulse to determine if her improv made sense. But she trudged on to not give him time to think if it hadn’t. “My mother’s job reviews are excellent. She’s kept your Toronto branch solid for years.
“You’ve given her vacations, certificates, keynote speaking engagements, and awards with your name stenciled on them. So they meant what, exactly? It’s worthwhile to train another CFO to take her place? Or is this a long term endeavor to save a few measly bucks next quarter?”
“Sandra McKenny.” He drew out her mother’s name with slow recognition.
He never put the last names together until now? Figures, this man never paid attention to the help. But his bearing had shifted on those two words as he strolled back to stand in front of her, like a boxer gearing up for a fight.
Too angry to have accurately consider her overall situation before now, Ashley’s mind snapped to attention. She should be frightened of an industry magnate with the power to ruin two careers. His thirty-second stretch of silence invoked his intimidation. He must have liked that. Probably fed off the nervous sweat of others.
She fought yielding to the silent tactic as he fleshed her out, and she kept her breathing in check as she glared as good as she got. Too soon, her eyes dropped to the expanse in front of her.
Well, it was worth it to look. The broad chest and shoulders at eye level commanded her attention. Arm muscles carved the sleeves of his cotton shi
rt, and she hadn’t missed how they’d etched his back when he’d moved. He was fit. Racquetball, swimming, running, weights, she could see the arsenal now. But she also couldn’t fool herself. None were mightier than his pen.
“How can you throw them out?” The conviction in her tone overrode her annoyance for being the first to break the silence.
“One, no one’s being thrown out. Two, your mother will be working for months before receiving severance pay. That’s more than generous. And three, I don’t know you, don’t care to. You managed to weasel in here through my grandmother—how, I’ll find out later. But she trusts you and I trust her judgment. That’s the only thing keeping you in this house.”
He couldn’t possibly be as pigheaded as he sounded. She creased her eyebrows and folded her arms. “You’re talking trust, considering what you’re doing?”
A low chuckle rumbled. “Do you know what I’m doing?” He stepped closer. “You’re satisfied with whatever your mother gave you. There are two sides to a story. This one has three actually. And unless your mother has been telling company secrets, you don’t know a thing.”
A light glinted in his threatening, pretty brown eyes as the hard smile came out.
“I see. You really don’t have a clue, do you? You’re just sticking up for good old Mom. Noble, but ignorant.”
Ashley hated that she looked inept in front of him yet again, but didn’t want her confusion to show on her face. He’d alluded that letting her mother work for months before receiving severance pay was more than generous. Executives in her mother’s position received that type of package all the time. She didn’t like that he spoke as though her mom had done something wrong.
She made a note to observe how this one strung his sentences together.
The ax man crossed his arms and leaned in. “Here are the ground rules. None of this is mentioned to anyone. Not your family, not your friends, not even Valerie. Revealing Raes is my company. My grandmother doesn’t involve herself with its affairs, and hasn’t for over twenty years. Business is just that, business. I trust I’ve made myself clear.” He turned and strode away again.
