“Why? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for another flirty blonde with mush between her ears.”
Wincing, Mason asked with sarcasm, “Why do I call you? To be reminded of my mistakes?”
Doug chuckled. “We all make mistakes, Mason. And you call me because you want advice from an expert.”
Mason sputtered. “On women? I realize you have them lined up on your doorstep, but I’m not ready to call you an expert on the subject.”
There was a moment of silence and then Doug said, “Seriously, Mason, are you troubled about something?”
“Troubled. Confused. Dazed. Yeah, I guess I’m a little of all those things. This woman is really out of my league, Doug. Truthfully, I have no business even thinking about her, much less looking her way. She comes from a wealthy family. Extremely wealthy.”
“Money doesn’t make a man, Mason.”
“This is about more than a bank account. Her father owns Robinson Tech.”
This time Doug’s silence stretched to a point where Mason was beginning to think the cell signal had dropped.
“Doug? Are you still there?”
“I’m here. I was just thinking that when my little brother picks a woman, he really picks one.”
“I admit it’s crazy. She could never be serious about a guy like me. But—”
“Listen, Mason,” Doug interrupted. “This woman could walk the face of the earth and never find a better guy than you.”
Mason sat up straight. “You’ve never said anything like that to me before.”
“I haven’t? Well, I should have. You’ve always followed your heart. That’s why you’re Mom’s favorite.”
In spite of his doubts, Mason grinned. “You don’t have to lay it on that thick, brother.”
“Who’s laying it on? So when are you coming down to see us? If I can get some of these trials out of the way, we’ll go to Padre and do a little fishing.”
Mason chuckled. “By the time I get my new project finished and you get the court docket wiped clean it will be the middle of summer.”
“Great. Let’s mark the calendar. In the meantime, Mason, you keep asking yourself if that girl is good enough for you. Not the other way around. Okay?”
“I hear you. Thanks, Doug.”
The two men exchanged goodbyes and Mason ended the connection and started the car. As he backed out of the parking slot, he noticed two cars parked together in the row behind him. One of them was Thom Nichols’s sports car. The white economy car parked next to it belonged to a redhead who worked in R&D.
If Thom’s car was still here that meant he most likely wasn’t with Sophie. However, Mason had never seen him working overtime. Did that mean he was out with the redhead? The idea caused Mason’s jaw to clamp tight. Sophie definitely needed to know about the seedy side of her dream man. But he wasn’t going to be the one to tell her. He could only hope that Sophie would learn the truth for herself. Before Thom had a chance to break her heart.
*
Sophie was sitting in the family room, scanning a stack of work she’d brought home, when she heard footsteps on the Italian tile and looked up to see her mother walking toward her.
Glancing at the tall grandfather clock to the left of an oil painting that Charlotte had paid thousands for at a European auction, Sophie noticed it was only a few minutes past ten.
“Hello, Mother. I thought you’d gone to the theatre. Is the play over this early?”
The older woman dropped her jeweled handbag onto an antique loveseat and slowly eased off her brocade jacket. “I couldn’t sit to the end. The whole thing was too boring. But to give the actors credit, no one could have made that dialogue believable. The only saving grace was that the cost of the ticket goes to one of my favorite charities.”
That was one positive thing about her mother, Sophie thought. If there was a cause Charlotte felt deeply about, she would generously contribute both her time and money to help it flourish.
“I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it,” Sophie told her. “What about your friend Alice? Did she stay to watch the end?”
“No. We left together. Her husband hasn’t been feeling well, so she wanted to get home early to check on him.”
She wondered if her mother would have done the same.
Charlotte eased into an armchair angled to Sophie’s. “I’m glad I caught you,” she said. “Olivia informed me that you talked with that magazine writer today. What’s her name? Lamonte?”
Sophie nodded. “Ariana Lamonte. She’s writing about what it means to become a Fortune.”
“Hmmp. Surely the woman could find something more worthwhile to focus on besides the Fortune family.”
Sophie frowned at the bitterness in her mother’s voice. “Are you forgetting that I am one of those Fortunes? That all your children are now Fortunes?”
“It’s a fact I try not to dwell on,” she said bluntly, then smoothing a hand over her long, black skirt, she gave Sophie a sidelong glance. “What did you and Ms. Lamonte discuss during your interview?”
What would her mother think if she told her that Ariana Lamonte was more than curious about her behavior? “Just the routine things. Mainly she wanted to hear how I felt about getting a half brother that none of the family knew existed. She also wanted to know what it was like for me to learn how my father had chosen to fake his own death rather than live as Jerome Fortune.”
“Sophie! I don’t like you speaking about your father in that sarcastic tone.”
Sighing, Sophie looked away from her mother’s stern face. Drama and secrets seemed to always surround her family. Why couldn’t she have been born to regular parents like Mason’s? No doubt he’d been conceived in love. Whereas, Sophie could only imagine Charlotte getting pregnant by doing her wifely duty and little more.
“I apologize, Mother. I’m trying to understand what motivated Dad to take on a different identity. But apart from that deceit, some of the things he’s done are very…well, disappointing.”
“He’s your father and he loves you,” she said as though that made up for everything.
But did her father, whom she now had to think of as Jerome Fortune, really love her? Or had the affection he’d shown her over the years only been a part of his deception? Oh, Lord, she didn’t know what was real or pretense anymore. Not with her parents or with Thom.
“If you say so.”
Charlotte’s lips tightened, but she didn’t issue any more scolding words. Instead, she settled back in her chair and asked, “I’m sure the subject of your mother came up in the interview. What did Ms. Lamonte ask about me?”
Are you asking because you have something to hide?
The question darted through Sophie’s mind as she studied her mother’s regal features. “I think Ms. Lamonte is like everyone else in this city,” Sophie said. “She’s wondering how you’re dealing with all this scandal about Dad.”
“And what did you tell her?”
Sophie frowned. Her mother seemed overly curious about the interview. What could possibly concern her about a simple magazine article? Over the years the Robinsons had dealt with all sorts of bad publicity. Granted, nothing as bad as the recent tabloids, though.
“Don’t fret, Mother. I told her how you were standing faithfully behind your husband. And that we’re all unified as a family. I’m not so sure she understands your attitude. Frankly, neither do I. But that’s another matter entirely, isn’t it?”
“Entirely.” Clearing her throat, she rose to her feet. “Be advised, Sophie, not to say any more than necessary to this woman. After reading her feature about Keaton I have a feeling she doesn’t have any regard for a person’s private life.”
Not wanting to cause her mother any more distress, Sophie planted a swift kiss on her cheek. “Don’t concern yourself about it, Mother. I measured my words carefully. Besides, we’re a strong bunch. We can weather any kind of media storm.”
In an unusual display of affection, Charlotte patted her cheek. “You’re ri
ght. I’ll say good-night now. I’ve had a busy day.”
As she turned to go, Sophie asked, “When is Dad going to be home? I haven’t seen him the past few evenings.”
“He called from LA earlier this afternoon. He’ll be staying on another day or two. Business, of course.”
Of course, Sophie thought sadly. And as she watched her mother leave the family room, Sophie was more determined than ever to make her life different.
She wasn’t going to make the same mistake of wasting away in a cold marriage. She was going to marry a man she loved, who would love her in return. A man who would take her into his arms and wrap her in warmth and passion and fill her heart with happiness.
A man exactly like…Mason.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Sophie marched into Dennis’s office, dropped a bound folder on his desk and pounded it with her forefinger, while her boss watched on with mild amusement.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
Folding her arms against her breasts, Sophie stared at him. “Wrong? Have you read this thing?”
“Not yet. All I know is that Ben decided the company needed to save money by changing insurance carriers.” He pointed to the folder. “And this is what we have now.”
“This is a crock of you-know-what. It’s outrageous. As soon as the employees see all the medical procedures being dropped from their coverage, they’re going to riot. Ben must have been out of his mind when he decided to go with this provider.”
“Health insurance is in turmoil these days and I think there was a lot of lobbying going on by this company to get Robinson Tech’s business,” Dennis told her. “And your brother was in a cut-and-save mood.”
Sophie snorted. “You know, when a flood of employees show up here to protest, I’m going to send them straight upstairs to Ben’s office. He’ll be in a different mood then.”
Dennis shook his head. “Give your brother a break. He’s just become a new father. He has a lot on his mind.”
Sophie’s expression suddenly softened. “Yes, little Lacey is adorable. I’ve never seen my big brother so enamored with anyone or anything. He behaves as though he’s the first man to ever have a daughter.”
“It is a special event when a child comes into your life. You’ll learn when it happens to you, Sophie.”
Becoming a mother was never going to happen to her unless she connected with the right man. And right now she was trying to decide how she could extricate herself from this mess she’d made with Thom. Perhaps she should just write FOOL across her forehead in big letters, take her lumps, and get it over with. But Valentine’s Day was less than a week away and she’d gotten a text from Thom this morning hinting that he was already making big plans for the evening.
More wrestling or monster action movies? The mere thought of it made her sick.
“Okay, Dennis, I’ll send notices out to all our employees about the change in insurance. Just get ready to hear plenty of howling.”
She picked up the folder and left her boss’s office. As she walked back to her desk, she spotted Mason. This morning he was wearing black slacks and a plum colored dress shirt that emphasized the faint bronze mix in his brown hair. As she watched him move toward her, she was amazed that it had taken her so long to really see what an attractive man he was. If she’d not been so busy developing such a thoughtless crush on Thom, she might have taken more notice of Mason. And never gotten herself into the embarrassing situation she was in now.
She walked over to meet him. “Good morning, Mason,” she greeted with a wide smile. “I hope you’re not here in my department to complain.”
He grinned. “Me, complain? Never. It’s my break time. If you can leave your desk, I thought we might have a cup of coffee together.”
Fifteen minutes with Mason would do her a world of good. “That sounds wonderful. Let me just put this away.” She held up the folder.
As he followed her into her cubicle Sophie was acutely aware of him standing a few steps behind her. The faint scent of his masculine cologne teased her nostrils while waves of heat seemed to be radiating from his body. That kiss of his had done something to her, she thought. Since then, whenever he got close, her nerves seemed to send up radar that picked up every little nuance about the man.
“What’s this?” he asked. “I didn’t know you were a hockey fan.”
“I’m not.” Sophie turned to see him staring at a ticket lying on the corner of her desk. Apparently someone had left it there while she’d been in Dennis’s office.
“Someone apparently thinks you are.”
“Let me see.” She picked up the ticket and found a small note stuck to the back. It read: We can catch a commuter flight and be in Dallas in time for the game. I’m looking forward to a fabulous evening with you. Thom.
Sophie wanted to look up at the ceiling and let out a loud groan. Instead, she glanced at Mason and tried to hide her frustration. “Thom wants to take me to Dallas to see the Stars play tonight.”
“Hmm. Rather a long drive to be making on a weeknight. You’d have to leave work early this afternoon to make it in time.”
The faint note of disapproval she heard in Mason’s voice made her wonder if he might actually be jealous of Thom. But that sort of thinking was farfetched. Even if he had planted that hot kiss on her lips, Mason thought of himself as Sophie’s friend. Nothing more.
“He expects to catch a commuter flight,” Sophie said, as her mind whirled in search of more than one reasonable excuse to put the man off.
Mason grunted. “His salary must be measurably larger than mine to spend that sort of money on a sporting event.”
“Thom loves sports,” she said dully. “Of all kinds.”
“No doubt,” he said dryly.
Sophie looked at him. “What does that mean?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just that most men do—love all kinds of sports.”
Looping her arm through his, Sophie urged him out of the cubicle. “Well, I seriously doubt Thom’s salary is a dime more than yours. His position with the company is not more important than yours. As for this hockey game, I can’t go.”
“You can’t?”
He sounded surprised and Sophie figured he was probably wondering why she would turn down any date with Thom. If she told Mason he was part of the reason, he’d probably think she was joking. And after the big deal she’d made about Thom being the fantasy man of Robinson Tech, she couldn’t blame him. Or even worse, he might get the impression that she was, as her mother had implied, a butterfly fluttering from one man to the next, incapable of making a choice.
“Uh—no. It’s—well, this evening is not a good time. I have—other things to do.” Like dream about you, she wanted to say, but didn’t.
He slanted her a sly grin. “You can always use the weather as an excuse. There are snow or ice warnings for tonight.”
“Oh! Thank you, Mason!”
“For what? Giving you a bad weather forecast?”
She felt a blush slowly creeping over her cheeks. “Well, I don’t necessarily like icy weather. But Thom—Sometimes it’s hard to make him understand I’m not at his beck and call any given time of the week.”
They entered the break room and she was relieved to see that Thom wasn’t anywhere in sight. In fact, the room was empty.
“Maybe you should just be honest with him, Sophie. Tell him that you don’t like hockey and you’d rather not go.”
His suggestion caused her eyes to roll. “What a novel idea. Brutal honesty. You wouldn’t like it if a woman told you she didn’t like the plans you made for the two of you.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But I wouldn’t mind changing my plans to something we’d both enjoy.”
“Really? You’d do that?”
“Sure. If the woman was that important to me.” He guided her over to a chair and helped her into it. “You sit. I’ll get our coffee. Cream and sugar, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
While Mason gathered the drinks, Sophie realized he remembered things about her that Thom had never taken the time to notice. He gave her encouraging words at just the right time and made her laugh when her spirits desperately needed a lift. He inherently seemed to know what she was thinking and feeling. And Sophie was quickly beginning to see just what a rare thing that was to find in a man.
“Here you go.” He placed the cup in front of her, then sat to her left. “A boost for the midmorning blues.”
Her expression wry, she glanced over at him. “What makes you think I have the midmorning blues?”
“Just a guess. Your shoulders aren’t quite as squared as they usually are.”
For the most part, she could see that he was teasing, but the remark had her straightening her back anyway.
“I’ve been so busy I’ve hardly had time to look up. What about you?”
“This health app is turning out to be much harder than I anticipated. There are so many products out there already. I want this to be fresh and new. Something that will grab the public’s attention. I just haven’t come up with the right ideas yet. Basically I want to tie sports with health and make the couch potatoes realize that being fit can also be fun. That’s been done, too. But hopefully I can put a different slant on it.”
She looked at him and the appreciation he saw in her brown eyes made him want to do handsprings. He’d had people praise his work before. Even Gerald Robinson himself. But having Sophie’s admiration lifted his ego to another level.
“You will. I have every faith in you. So do Wes and my dad. Or the two of them would’ve never assigned you the task.”
He watched her sip the coffee, while wishing he had the right to lean over and whisper loving words in her ear, to kiss her and call her his own. Perhaps that was crazy thinking on his part, but he couldn’t stop himself. Doug had pointed out that money didn’t make a person and Mason believed he was right. Even if Sophie was barely scraping by on a pitiful income, he would still be infatuated with her effervescent personality, the caring and warmth that radiated from her eyes.
Mason forced his thoughts back to the conversation. “Pleasing those two men puts me in a pressure cooker,” he joked.
Her Sweetest Fortune Page 10
