The C.E.O.'s Unplanned Proposal

by Karen Toller Whittenburg

  The tension was palpable for a moment. Katie felt it like a morning fog, thick and disorienting, but then as quickly as it came, it was gone in the sunny flash of Bryce’s smile. “Personally, I was just taking the responsibility of persuading Katie that dinner at the Hall is mandatory, now that I’m home.”

  “I thought you were crewing for Holden Locke this week,” Adam said.

  “I am.” Bryce continued to court Katie with his eyes. “I’m due in Newport to hook up with the rest of the Andrea Cara crew about six.”

  “Doesn’t that preclude having dinner here?”

  “Don’t sweat it, Adam. Holden won’t sail without me.”

  Adam’s jaw tightened. Katie watched the muscle flex with his tension and decided he was biting his tongue to keep the family peace. But whether for her benefit or his own, she couldn’t tell. “Did Grandfather show you all you wanted to see?” he asked her. “Any problems present themselves?”

  “Problems?”

  “About the setup for the party.”

  “The party?” Bryce asked.

  Adam glanced at his brother. “Katie is the events coordinator I’ve hired to plan Grandfather’s birthday celebration. That’s why she’s here.”

  Bryce’s frown chastised her. “And I thought you’d wrangled an invitation from Adam just to meet me.”

  While it was flattering to be the object of Bryce Braddock’s attention, Katie had a sneaky suspicion that Grandma Moses would have gotten the same treatment had she been the only available woman when these two brothers were in the same room. There was competition here and a lack of understanding between the two men. Katie could see it, feel it and right or wrong, she thought the major fault was Adam’s. “If I were that clever, I’d have already figured out where I’d be having dinner.”

  Bryce’s smile was quick and triumphant. “Good, it’s settled, you’re staying.”

  “Great.” Adam curved his hands over the chair back as he straightened. “I’m hungry. I’ll let Abbott know there’ll be four of us for dinner.” He turned, then glanced back. “I don’t suppose Peter will surprise us by coming home tonight.”

  “I spoke to him this morning,” Bryce said, standing. “He’s staying in Atlanta until Thursday, but he’ll be here this weekend. Since we’ve got an hour or so before dinner, mind if I take Katie for a quick spin in the Ferrari?”

  Adam’s jaw worked again, but his smile was pleasant enough. “That’s something you’ll need to ask her. As far as I know, she’s a free agent.”

  Katie felt like she’d just been handed over, from brother to brother, à la carte. “I’ve never ridden in a Ferrari before,” she said. “On the other hand, I’d never ridden in a Rolls-Royce before today, either.” She shot Adam a challenging glance. “What an adventure for me, huh?”

  “He drives too fast,” was Adam’s only comment.

  “He doesn’t drive much at all,” was Bryce’s reply.

  “It would be difficult to drive and conduct business at the same time,” Katie said neutrally. No way was she putting herself between these two powerful personalities. “I’d love to take that drive, Bryce. If you’re sure you don’t mind, Adam?”

  The flicker in his gaze told her he did mind, but wouldn’t dream of admitting it. “Why would I? If you’re satisfied with your tour of the house and grounds, I certainly have no reason to object.”

  Which meant, probably, that he did have reason. But this wasn’t her battle and Katie figured if she had to stay for dinner—and it looked like she did—then she might as well add ride in a Ferrari to her list of the day’s adventures. “Great,” she said and smiled at Bryce as she laid the history book aside and rose to her feet with an eager bounce. “Can I drive?”

  Chapter Four

  There was something familiar about the way Katie laughed. Adam knew he must have met her somewhere before, but the time and place and circumstances eluded him. Or maybe her lovely laugh only seemed familiar because he’d heard it so often during dinner that it seemed he must have known it all his life. Bryce had outdone himself at being charming, and Grandfather had been no slouch in that department either. If entertaining Katie was the goal, the Braddock men had certainly risen to the challenge. Except for Adam, who had mainly watched her laugh at things he hadn’t had the ease or opportunity to say.

  Growing up, Adam had often felt the weight of his birthright sitting squarely on his shoulders. There had been times, although not many, when he’d envied his younger brothers their ability to have fun as they pleased, without having to worry about the duties and responsibilities he, as the oldest, had inherited. He’d had to be serious, studious and committed, because, in his heart, he felt that was his designated role in the family. He would be the man his father wasn’t and, thereby, make his grandparents proud. But tonight, for whatever reason, Adam wished he could feel the freedom Bryce felt to charm Katie Canton and make her laugh.

  For some reason, the whole evening had put him on edge. Perhaps it was as simple as the fact that he’d wanted to get back to Providence immediately after the town meeting. Or as complicated as the way Bryce had manipulated Katie into staying for dinner. Or maybe it was just because Adam felt responsible for bringing her here and exposing her to his brother’s blatant flirtation, although in general, it was his belief that women who sat at this dinner table should be perfectly capable of handling a little light flirtation.

  Katie certainly seemed capable of giving as good as she got. She was quite skilled in the art, too, enchanting both Bryce and Grandfather in the process. Okay, so Adam had to admit he was charmed, as well. It wasn’t just the laugh, or the sparkle of mischief in her dancing blue eyes, although those certainly added to her attractions. It was more a combination of the whole Katie package and, though he would never say so, there were moments during the evening when he thought he might be happy for days just watching the variations of her smile.

  At other moments during the evening, when his brother was putting forth extra effort to charm her, Adam told himself he was only concerned that Katie shouldn’t read more into the attention than it merited. Bryce charmed a dozen women a day, maybe more. He flirted the same way he did everything else—with boundless enthusiasm. And he broke at least one heart a week, just to keep in practice.

  That wasn’t entirely fair. Bryce broke hearts, true, but not that often and certainly never with any malicious intent. He did it as unconsciously as he breathed and was honestly amazed to learn someone had taken his flirting seriously. On occasion, afterward, he even tried mightily to set things to right. Adam had told him for years that if he’d behave more responsibly in the first place, nothing would need to be set aright. But while Bryce was often, in Adam’s admittedly biased opinion, careless with other’s emotions, he was, at heart, a kind and decent young man whose major flaw was anchored in his greatest attribute—his extraordinary gift for living life full out and without limits.

  But whether his brother was hero or cad, Adam didn’t want him toying with Katie. He wanted her to concentrate on the upcoming birthday party and he wanted Bryce to let her do it in peace. Or maybe he only wanted not to see her laugh so spiritedly at Bryce’s every comment.

  Dinner passed with conversation ranging from the frivolous to the absurd, never once—despite Adam’s occasional efforts—settling into the discussion he had hoped to generate about the upcoming birthday party. Instead, his questions prompted a reminiscence of great parties of the past. Archer took the lead in relating anecdotes from parties past, happily spilling out humorous moments in the Braddock family history like a string of pearls, all apparently told with one purpose in mind—to hear Katie laugh.

  By the time dinner was over and Bryce suggested he drive Katie home, even Adam had been lulled into a pleasantly congenial good humor. His brother’s suggestion snapped him back to reality with an unsettling jolt of alarm. For all her considerable skill at flirting, Katie was largely unsophisticated and therefore, in his opinion, ill-equipped to handle Bryce’s c
harm after dark. Adam knew it was none of his business, but he’d brought Katie, rather insistently, to his home today, introduced her, however unintentionally, to his brother, and he felt it was therefore his responsibility to see that she got home safely. All that was needed to turn the upcoming birthday party into a disaster was for her to think Bryce meant even half of the flowery compliments he handed out so effortlessly.

  “Providence is out of your way,” he said, intervening smoothly. “I’ll see that Katie gets home safely.”

  “I believe she’d prefer to go with me,” Bryce replied just as smoothly, with an of-course-youwould wink at her.

  “Nonetheless, I’ll take her home.” Adam was in no mood to argue about this.

  “I don’t think so,” Bryce said, ready to rumble.

  “Katie,” Archer said. “While I’d love to insist that these young men allow me to escort you back to Providence, I’m afraid old age conquers chivalry this time around. You’ll just have to make do with one of my grandsons.”

  Katie’s smile was soft with appreciation. “It is, truly, the thought that counts, Mr. Braddock.”

  “Then you’ll ride with me,” Bryce said.

  “No,” Adam stated, brooking no further disagreement.

  “I’m extremely flattered to have two Braddock brothers intent on seeing me home,” she said easily. “But I think I’ll just try my thumb at hitchhiking back. I’ve already ridden in a Rolls-Royce and a Ferrari today, and it may not be too late to see if I can catch a lift in a Lamborghini.”

  Bryce laughed as if she’d made a great joke. Even Archer smiled at the ridiculous idea. But Adam didn’t see anything funny in the image of Katie on a dark road—or a well-lighted one, for that matter—using her thumb…or worse, her well-turned ankle to flag down a stranger. What sort of life had she led to think the idea romantic even in jest? She talked as if she were savvy and streetwise, but there was a vulnerability in her expression she tried to hide, the occasional shadow in her pretty eyes. It must be the contradiction he found so interesting, he decided. Either that, or he was still under the spell of her laughter.

  “You’ll go with me,” he said, determined to protect her for the thirty or forty minutes it would take to return to Providence. “I believe you had something you wanted to discuss with me?”

  Her smile paled, but immediately brightened again. “I did say that this afternoon, didn’t I? How…effective…of you to remember.”

  It took several goodbyes and an equal number of invitations to return to the Hall, before Benson finally closed the door of the Rolls behind them and drove past the sturdy old stone wall that bordered the estate. Alone with Katie, Adam felt an obligation to show that he could be as conversant as his brother, despite the lack of evidence during dinner. “My brother must have taken you on quite a spin before dinner. You were gone an hour and fifteen minutes.” Not exactly the sparkling wit he’d hoped to display. Not subtle, either, but a subject he felt needed to be addressed. “Did you enjoy your ride in his Ferrari?”

  Katie’s gaze swivelled to him. “An expensive sports car and an attractive, attentive young man? What woman wouldn’t enjoy that kind of ride?”

  “He didn’t, uh, drive too fast for you?”

  “He didn’t, as a matter of fact. I, on the other hand, may have scared his pants off when I opened that baby up.”

  “He let you drive?” Fast on the heels of that question, another thought struck him. “You said you don’t drive.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “I don’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t know how, only that the opportunity doesn’t come along very often.”

  “Do you have a license?” Dumb and irrelevant, and not at all what he really wanted to know.

  “To drive? Or to scare the pants off your brother?”

  She was a mile ahead of him, Adam realized so he moved straight to the point. “Katie, you may be the only woman Bryce has taken for a drive in his Ferrari…today. Then again, you may be the sixteenth or twentieth.”

  “Mmm,” she said on a dramatic sigh. “And I was so certain he fell madly and irrevocably in love with me the very moment our eyes met.”

  “I thought you should be aware, that’s all.”

  Her smile bounced back, bearing a tinge of apology for teasing him. “I do appreciate the warning, Adam, but it’s totally unnecessary. I’ve been taking care of myself for so long, I can spot trouble way down the road and, when I see it coming, I always cross the street. You don’t have to worry that I took your brother seriously because I didn’t.”

  Adam was relieved. Absurdly so. “Good.”

  “I’m sure he’d be horrified if he thought I had.”

  “Yes, I expect he would.”

  “Oh, admit it, Adam, you’d be horrified, too.” Her smile unsettled him all the more. “If I were to start chasing after your brother, I’d be bound to neglect the birthday party and that could cause you all kinds of problems.”

  True, absolutely. But he could spot trouble, too, even if he didn’t always choose to cross the street when he saw it coming. “On the contrary, I’m convinced you’re a consummate professional, Katie. I doubt a hurricane would distract you once you started on a project.”

  “Oh, a hurricane would do it. I’m not good in storms.” Her gaze cut to him, then quickly away and she plucked nervously at a loose string on her dress. “But since we’re talking about the party, sort of, there is, uh, something I need to tell you.”

  Now that she’d seen the house and grounds—and driven the Ferrari—she wanted more money. He could feel a renegotiation coming, and was surprised at the level of his disappointment. “Yes?”

  The string plucking intensified. “I tried to tell you this before,” she began. “I can’t…” Her voice trailed away, then came back with a sharp inhale. “I’m not the person you need for this. I’m just not…right for the job.”

  “You want more money to do it,” he said, cutting to the chase.

  “No.” She couldn’t have sounded more definite, nor looked more amazed. “Good grief, no. Are you kidding? I couldn’t begin to earn the amount of money already on the table. What I meant was just what I said. I’m not—repeat, not—the right person for the job.”

  She didn’t want to up the ante. He could hardly believe it, but for some reason, he did, and the relief was so strong, he nearly laughed aloud. “On the contrary, Katie, you’re the perfect person. After the way you charmed my grandfather today, I wouldn’t dare bring anyone else in to plan his party.”

  “But you’re making a mistake,” she said and started to go on, but he stopped her, realizing now that all the talk about past parties must have worried her.

  “Don’t let the size of the house and grounds intimidate you, Katie. I’m sure you have enough experience with caterers and florists, and the like, to plan a delightful evening. But even if you didn’t, I’d much prefer to have someone with your enthusiasm and originality than someone with thousands of successful events under her belt.”

  “How about someone with a couple of complete disasters under her belt?”

  He wanted to reach over and take her hand, reassure her with a touch, but that, of course, would be inappropriate. “We all learn by making mistakes. And at the risk of sounding arrogant, Braddock parties are always successful. There just isn’t much you can do to ruin one. In any case, if I’m not worried about your qualifications, I don’t see why you should be.”

  She looked at him with frank curiosity. “Is there anything you do worry about, Adam?”

  “I either take action on a problem or put it aside until I can make a decision about how to deal with it. Worry simply isn’t in my vocabulary.”

  “Now, that sounded arrogant.”

  He laughed. “Okay, so maybe I’m somewhat acquainted with the concept. But that doesn’t solve your problem. Tell me what really worries you, Katie.”

  She sighed and her gaze turned to the moonlit landscape beyond the window and yet another of New England’s sturdy ol
d stone fences. “Stone walls,” she said. “I’m worried that someday I’m going to run into one I can’t get past.”

  “From what I observed tonight, you could probably persuade one to crumble with just a smile.”

  “I may have to give that a try, since talking apparently isn’t going to do it.”

  “If you’re worried about this party measuring up to past parties, I wish you wouldn’t. I said in the beginning that you’d have carte blanche and I meant it. The budget, while not unlimited, is certainly generous. It is Grandfather’s seventy-ninth birthday and my brothers and I aren’t going to argue over the expense.”

  “Really. It seemed to me that you and Bryce have the art of argument down pat.”

  “Appearances are often deceiving.” The stiffness returned to his voice in a landslide. “You shouldn’t base your opinion of me or my brother on a single evening.”

  “I’m much more tolerant than that, Adam. I couldn’t help noticing the rivalry, but you’re right, it was only a few hours and it was tactless to mention it at all. Sorry if I brought up a touchy subject.”

  So much for thinking his stilted tones might have gone undetected. “Bryce and I have our differences, of course. But we are brothers and our family is very important to us.”

  “I never doubted it for a second.” Her smile bloomed, gentling any possible offense. “I’m sure it can’t be easy for him, always comparing himself to you.”

  Her observation startled him. “I can’t imagine either of my brothers waste their time and energy on such a meaningless comparison.”

  “No, of course, you can’t.” She winced. “Ooh, that sounded not at all like what I meant to say, which was only that you have to be a really tough act to follow.”

  Her comment made him uncomfortable all over again, as if she had read a subtext in the evening that he had failed to see. Definitely time to shift the focus of the conversation to her. “And where did you learn so much about family dynamics, Katie? Your accent is definitely not New England.”