“Selena? Are you with us?” Julia sent Selena an amused glance as Caly tapped her fingernails on the desk, arching a brow. “If we can get your undivided attention, we might be able to finish up before the office closes.”
“Sorry.” She slid her phone back into her pocket. “Where were we?”
Julia shook her head, her mouth tipping up into a smile. “Caly reviewed the new property management clients we’ve picked up in the last thirty days. Did you have any comments?”
“None.”
“All right. Now it’s your turn to go over the recent listings and sales, then I’ll talk about our new business development program.” Julia settled back in her chair, enjoying Selena’s slight discomfort. In reality, she couldn’t be happier for her sister, although she had serious concerns about Selena jumping so quickly into what appeared to be a relationship. Her behavior was out of character. For a woman who rarely dated, preferring the company of a book to socializing, she’d fallen hard for a man with a reputation as a serious player. If Linc did anything to hurt Selena, he’d face some serious and undisguised anger from the other Kerrigan sisters.
“That’s it. An uptick in listings and three more sales than projected for last month. I do have a recommendation, however.” Selena shot a look at Caly.
Julia nodded for her to continue.
“We have three salespeople and are in desperate need of at least one more. Caly, you’ve mentioned a few times about getting into sales. You have your license. Would you like to take on walk-in buyers to get your feet wet?”
Caly shuffled the papers in her hand, pretending to consider the option, knowing she’d love to combine sales with her property management responsibilities. “It depends. How many walk-ins do we get in a week?”
“In the summer, there could be as many as a dozen, with perhaps three converting to actual buyers. Between Halloween and Easter, it tapers off to maybe one or two a week.” Selena shifted in her seat, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, wondering if Linc had sent another text. “What do you think?”
“I’d like to give it a try with one condition. I’d take no more than two actual buyers per month. With everything else I have going, I think that’s all I can handle.” Caly could feel her excitement growing. She’d begun to stagnate doing just property management, craving the stimulation making sales provided while introducing new residents to her wonderful community.
“Done,” Julia said, casting a hard look at Caly. “But you’ll need to be in the same rotation system we use for all the salespeople. You won’t be able to pick and choose, or hand someone off to another agent.”
“No problem. I’ll take whomever comes my way.”
“That’s it then. I’ll see you both at dinner tonight,” Julia commented.
“Sorry, Julia. I’m afraid I have a date and won’t be able to make it. Next time?” Caly stood, pushing her chair toward the table.
“No worries. And Selena, please bring Linc. Adam plans to be there and he’d love some male company.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Selena hurried down the hall, pulling her phone out of her pocket. As expected, a text from Linc awaited her. She smiled at his question.
Where do you want to meet for dinner?
******
“What is it?” Shane moved up behind Matt, scanning the computer screen that held his friend’s attention.
“I’m not certain.” He pursed his lips, trying to decipher the information sent to him by Tomás Vega. “Phreaker must be working overtime. He’s sent three warnings in the last hour about some threat to our security.” Matt picked up the phone, dialing Linc’s number. “Pick up, boss,” he muttered as the phone continued to ring. More than an hour earlier, Linc had dashed out of the office, heading for a meeting in Peregrine Bay, telling them not to expect him back. Matt left a brief message when his call went to voicemail.
“A client or here at the office?” Shane asked, pulling up a chair.
“Bennington Technology.”
Shane mumbled an oath. “That’s the second client in the last two weeks, and they’re our two largest.”
“And both are in the software application industry.” Matt sent a reply to Vega’s latest message.
“So far, neither has sustained a full breach, but these two attempts came close. Phreaker usually identifies a couple each month and shuts them down. As you can see, the attacks are getting stronger and more frequent.” Shane pointed to a trending chart showing the number of breach attempts over the last few months.
“Could be a determined competitor. Maybe one of the companies we’re up against for the arts center project wants to make it appear we’ve done a lousy job.”
Matt leaned forward, concentrating on the latest message from Phreaker. “He’s shut this one down and is trying to get the source. They all seem to lead to a dead end.”
Shane scrubbed a hand down his face. “If anyone can sort it out, it’s Phreaker. I’ll set up a conference call for tomorrow morning about eight o’clock between you, Linc, Phreaker, and me.”
“You’d better make it nine. Linc hasn’t been getting into the office as early as usual,” Matt snickered. “I think our boy is a goner.”
“No doubt. I’ve never known him to be so obsessed with a woman. Unless you include—”
“Don’t even go there, Shane. She was a mistake he’d rather forget.”
“At least it was short-lived with no lasting consequences. It could’ve been worse.” Matt finished a message to Phreaker, then stood, following Shane into the hall. “Much worse.”
******
“You mean you’ve been able to dig up nothing on Linc Caldwell or his partners?” Greg Nelson didn’t try to hide his disgust. Simondson Security’s head of cyber investigations met his boss’s gaze. They’d had a month to come up with anything they could use to discredit TSR. So far, all their work had been for nothing.
“Hard to imagine, but those boys are squeaky clean. Linc’s service record is damn near perfect, and his partners have nothing more than a couple speeding tickets. We’ll keep looking.”
“Any luck breaking into their system?” Greg crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. He’d known finding anything on the TSR partners would be difficult, but felt it was worth the chance.
“None. Whoever is in charge of their cyber security is top-notch.”
Greg stared at the man, considering what he’d said. “Find out who he or she is. Seems we might want to make an offer that would be hard to refuse.”
“Sure thing, boss. Anything else?”
“No. We’ll just have to find other ways to beat our competition.” Although Greg didn’t quite know how.
They’d sharpened their pencils as much as possible on the arts center bid. He knew his boss, Ephraim Simondson, had his own ideas on how to win the bid. His methods included putting pressure on Tom Harten, a Peregrine Bay councilman, to do what he could to obtain the award for Simondson. Greg suspected Ephraim’s stepson, Chad, had been hired to do just that. Greg was all for using a competitor’s weaknesses against them, but he drew the line at doing anything that hinted at coercion or bribery. Unfortunately, Ephraim didn’t share his view.
******
“The latest attempts are coming through a server in Indonesia. Probably a public café or other open network location. It doesn’t mean the person or persons trying to access their computer system is actually in Indonesia. That information could take weeks or months to pin down.”
Linc held the phone closer to his ear, his mind immediately going to Simondson Security in Portland. He walked out of the kitchen where Julia and Selena finished preparing dinner while waiting for Adam. “Can you identify anything else?” he asked Phreaker.
“Nope. I’ve already connected with Matt. We have a conference call set up for nine tomorrow, but there’s not much more I can tell you. At this point, I haven’t been able to identify who’s trying to hack in, but you know me. I won’t rest until I find o
ut as much as possible.”
“Thanks. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Linc hung up, turning at the sound of footsteps behind him.
“Everything all right?” Selena walked up, resting a hand on his arm.
“Nothing important.” He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. “I missed you today.” He moved his lips to her neck, nuzzling the sensitive spot below her ear. “Is it too late to beg off and go to your place?”
She pulled back, laughing. “Yes, it is. Besides, I know how much you like to eat, and I certainly wouldn’t want lack of food to affect your stamina.” She cocked a brow.
Linc grabbed her around the waist, hauling her back to him. “As if.” He lowered his mouth, brushing a soft kiss across her lips, then deepening it.
They broke away when Julia cleared her throat behind them. “I hate to interrupt, but Adam just got home.” She sent them a knowing smile before returning to the kitchen.
“All right. You win.” Linc took her hand in his, following the voices to see Adam and Julia in a similar pose, arms wrapped around each other.
“So, what about dinner?” Selena asked.
Letting Julia go, Adam grinned at Selena before looking at Linc. “Glad you two could make it. Sorry I’m late. We had another prowler at the site of the new arts center. I hope they start framing the building soon.”
Linc caught Julia’s eye, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. “I know this isn’t the place, but when do you think the committee will make a decision on the security contract?” he asked.
“No, it’s not the place, but I understand your frustration at not having a decision.” Julia sighed, wishing she could award the contract to the lowest bidder, which happened to be Linc’s company. They also had the references and experience for jobs several times the size of the work in Peregrine Bay. “We meet again at the end of the week. The mayor and I have already made our recommendation. Tom Harten is the one holding it up. The man is a constant pain when it comes to city awards.” She picked up her glass of wine and took a slow sip. “There’s a new person in town representing Simondson Security. Tom wants to meet with him before making his final decision. Besides Tom, the unknowns are the two citizen members of the committee, although the mayor told me he discussed the proposals with them and is pleased with the firm they want to support.” She nodded at Linc, hoping he got the message.
“Enough discussing work. Let’s eat.” Adam placed an arm around Julia’s shoulders, turning her toward the kitchen.
Selena slid her arm through Linc’s, raising her brow. “What do you think she meant by that?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say your sister just told me TSR has four votes. If that’s the case, it won’t matter who Harten supports.” Unless our current clients are experiencing security breaches, which could be a game changer, Linc thought. Knowing his employees were working around the clock to thwart the latest threats, he shook his head. No use borrowing trouble.
“Do you know the Simondson representative Julia mentioned?” Linc asked.
Selena shook her head. “I have no idea.”
They’d talked a great deal about their jobs. Selena wanted to know everything she could about him. His candor when sharing his past surprised her. Most men seemed to offer little, especially when their experiences included working in war zones.
She’d been fascinated when he’d confessed he’d never been in love, never had anyone truly special in his life. He’d shrugged it off as not having time between his years at the Naval Academy, tours of duty oversees, then building his company.
She looked up, brushing her mouth against his, the rumbling of his stomach causing Selena to laugh against his lips.
“Sounds like we’d better get you fed.”
******
“What seems to be the problem at the site of the arts center?” Linc sipped his coffee, glancing at Adam as the women chatted on the other side of the room.
“Nothing major. Since the excavation started, a few of our homeless have taken up residence in the deep holes to ward off the chill. They’re usually gone as soon as the sun comes up. Tonight, one took over a piece of equipment, setting up his sleeping bag and hanging his belongings all over the cab.” Adam chuckled, remembering the site as he and one of his officers drove up. “I never saw anything quite like it.”
“Did you arrest him?” Linc watched as Selena and Julia walked down the hall, disappearing into one of the bedrooms. He’d hoped to get her home, join her in bed, and pleasure her until they fell asleep from exhaustion. Instead, he’d be driving back to his office, hoping to discover the source and reason for the attempts to break into his clients’ computers.
“If you can believe it, the guy offered me a drink from his bottle. Almost fell out of the cab when he bent over to hand it to me.” Adam smiled as he recalled the man trying to keep his balance. “I decided it was in his best interest to sleep it off in a warm, secure cell. I also called the general contractor. He’s going to set up around the clock security.”
“That will take care of most intruders. Once the foundation is poured, the work should progress quickly.” Linc kept his gaze on the back room where Selena had disappeared. His body tightened when he heard her warm, clear laugh through the open door.
The intensity of his feelings for her bothered Linc more than he cared to admit. He never expected the woman who’d passed out in his bed would be the one to capture his heart, disarming him with her sincerity, warmth, and honesty. One relationship misstep had convinced him his passion would be better served investing it in his work. The result had been a successful company, as well as a series of short-term arrangements with women he enjoyed, even liked, but never connected with on a deeper level. The effortless way Selena had broken through all his defenses in a few short weeks stunned him.
Adam leaned forward in his chair, cradling his coffee between his hands, noting the way Linc kept shifting his gaze to the hallway. “How are things going?”
Linc turned his attention back to Adam, wondering if he meant his business or relationship with Selena. “Better than anticipated. We’ve landed a couple new contracts. I’m hoping we’ll get the okay on the art center after the meeting Julia mentioned. I have nothing to complain about.”
“Heard from Dez?” Adam asked, glancing over the rim of his cup. He referred to Linc’s older brother, a graduate of West Point and member of Special Forces. At least he was when Adam met him during one of Dez’s infrequent visits with Linc a few years before.
“It’s been over two years. I have a bead on where he is, but…” Linc clamped his mouth shut, the tensing of his jaw signaling his frustration.
“They’d have notified your parents if anything had happened. He’s probably being sent on one mission after another with no time to get in touch.”
“Right. Try telling that to my mom and dad,” Linc groused, anger lacing his words.
Adam let it pass, deciding to change subjects. “How’s it going with Selena?”
Linc locked eyes on his friend. “Good.”
Adam didn’t respond as his gaze narrowed on Linc. “More coffee?” He stood, walking to the kitchen, Linc coming up behind him. He filled both their cups, then leaned a hip against the counter.
“She told Julia you’ve never been married. Did you tell Selena that?” His voice hardened, the question accusatory.
Taking a deep breath, Linc leaned against the opposite counter. “That’s what I led her to believe,” he sighed, remembering the night Adam and he had downed more beers than he could recall.
Adam had still been a detective in Spokane, working on a homicide in the home of one of Linc’s clients. They’d each let their guard down, Adam recalling his regret about walking away from the only woman he’d ever loved, and Linc admitting to a brief instant of insanity when he’d married after a whirlwind affair. Neither had spoken of their admissions since.
“Why? If you told her the circumstances and result, you know she would understand
.”
“She asked if I’d ever been in love. I told her no, which is true. If she’d asked if I’d ever been in lust, I would’ve said yes. Frankly, it’s been years. I haven’t heard from the woman since she got a quickie divorce while I was deployed.” Linc finished the coffee, setting the cup on the counter. “Trust me. I didn’t spend time grieving the breakup.”
“I believe you, but will Selena? I know these Kerrigan women pretty well, and lies of omission don’t set well with them. Unless this is a short-term fling for you. If that’s the case, you and I will need to have some serious words.” Adam crossed his arms, his gaze hardening.
Linc glared at his friend, but didn’t respond as the sound of Selena’s laughter preceded her into the kitchen.
She came to an abrupt stop when she saw the severe expressions on the men’s faces.
“Everything all right?” Selena walked up to Linc, touching his arm.
Linc broke eye contact with Adam, his face softening as he looked down at Selena. “Everything’s fine. Are you ready to leave?”
Feeling the tension between Linc and Adam, she picked up her coat and purse. “Ready.” She gave Julia a hug, then took the hand Linc offered.
“Thank you for including me tonight. Dinner was great.” Linc glanced at Adam, knowing the subject wasn’t over. He knew he needed to discuss the past with Selena, but it wouldn’t happen tonight. Not with the threats to TSR clients.
“I hope you’ll consider coming with Selena to our family dinner on Sunday. I know Father and Joannie would love to meet you.” Julia winked at Selena. They both knew their father would grill Linc to make sure he was good enough for his daughter, while their stepmother, Joannie, would welcome him with open arms.
Our Kind of Love Page 7
