Second Time Around

by Nancy Herkness

  Greg’s retaliation was to organize a high-level executive meeting about the pet food project on Monday morning. Will had to give him points for an excellent payback.

  But now he had something real to do for Kyra. He swiped Schuyler’s private cell number.

  “Yo, bro,” his sister answered immediately, somewhat to his surprise. “To what do I owe this extreme honor?”

  “Aren’t partners supposed to be too busy billing hours to answer the phone themselves?”

  “Don’t be an ass. You called my private cell. Besides, you’re the CEO with multiple executive assistants.”

  “It’s good to know that I will never get any respect from my sister.” Then he turned serious. “Sky, I need your legal assistance.”

  “I’m pretty sure Cronus Holdings has an entire legal department of its own,” she said.

  “Not what I’m looking for. I need a lawyer who can outmaneuver Titus Allen.”

  “Are you kidding me? What the heck did you do to get that tiger shark hunting you?”

  “Not me. The Carver Center.” He repeated Kyra’s summary of the situation.

  “So this is for your girlfriend.” Schuyler sounded oddly disappointed.

  “It’s for a place that does a hell of a lot of good. And she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Could have fooled me. I saw the steam on the car windows.”

  His sister wouldn’t let it go until he told her the truth. “Former girlfriend.”

  “Oh. Sorry. That sucks.”

  More than she knew or he expected. “It’s not relevant. Farr and I already looked at the center for funding by the Thalia Foundation. It’s a worthy cause.”

  “Okay, put me in touch with the center’s director, and I’ll get started.” Schuyler was back in legal eagle mode.

  “You?”

  “Isn’t that why you called me?”

  “I thought you’d pass it along to a colleague.”

  “You think I can’t handle Titus Allen?” Her tone was challenging.

  Will smiled for the first time since Saturday morning. “I think Allen won’t know what hit him. Keep me in the loop, sis.”

  He disconnected and immediately dialed Kyra’s number.

  “That was fast,” she answered.

  “Schuyler happened to answer her phone. She’s taking the case.”

  “Your sister?”

  He heard dismay in her voice. Why? “She’s an excellent lawyer and very tough.”

  “Oh, of course, I didn’t mean . . . I was just surprised that she would handle it personally.”

  He didn’t mention that he had reacted the same way. “Schuyler likes pro bono work, so it’s right up her alley.” Now that he thought about it, his sister’s involvement might give him an opportunity to see Kyra again.

  Which he shouldn’t want to do. Former girlfriend.

  The hell with it. He liked Kyra, always had. It made sense that he would still want to see her.

  “She’s going to contact Emily right away,” Will said.

  “Wow, thanks so much. I just hope”—her voice hitched—“Schuyler can save Shaq. Not to mention the whole K-9 Angelz program. It means so much to the kids . . . and to Emily. It doesn’t deserve to be shut down. And poor Felicia. God, what a mess this is! I feel like we should all be able to sit down and work it out instead of dragging it into court.”

  A strange pleasure expanded in his chest because she had confided her worries to him. “Schuyler will do her best to keep it out of court, and her best is damned good. Allen should be very, very worried.”

  “Thank you for being willing to bring your family into this. It’s really generous of you and Schuyler.”

  “We’ll get this straightened out.” He spoke with conviction. Because he desperately wanted to help her.

  “Right. Thanks again. Um, good-bye.”

  Before he could say anything else, she had hung up. He slammed the phone against his thigh in frustration.

  Kyra sent Emily a text, explaining that Schuyler Chase would be contacting her, if she hadn’t already. Then she dragged a stool into the pantry, closed the door, and let the tears roll down her cheeks.

  Hearing Will’s voice had ripped the bandage off the wound of their parting and set it bleeding again. She wished she could blame a hangover for the agony pounding through her today.

  She didn’t just miss his company . . . and his body. She missed the feeling that someone else in the world cared enough about her to put her needs first. Will had made her feel that way, even though he didn’t love her. And now he had drawn his sister into Kyra’s problems. It felt so much like love that it devastated her to know that it wasn’t.

  His kindness teased her, seduced her into thinking she wasn’t alone when she really was. She hadn’t expected their brief fling to weaken her defenses so much. It was that old friendship that had fooled her into lowering her barriers with him, as if they were back in the ivory tower of college, where real life differences didn’t matter.

  Now she was going to have to reconstruct her tough shell. She couldn’t afford the luxury of unrequited love. She needed all her strength to survive.

  Stripping the plastic off a new roll of paper towels, Kyra wiped her eyes with the rough material and stood up.

  No more contact with Will.

  A couple of hours later, Emily Wade walked into the kitchen. Instead of her usual mug of coffee, she carried a cardboard box bearing the logo of a bakery a couple of blocks away. “The world’s most decadent chocolate cupcakes,” Emily said, flipping open the box. “For comfort endorphins. We both need them.”

  Kyra put down the knife she was using to chop carrots. “It’s that bad?” She grabbed two plates and slid them onto the counter. “Would you like tea or coffee?”

  “I’ve had so much coffee I’m vibrating, so herbal tea would be wonderful,” Emily said as she set the cupcakes on the plates. “Even the caffeine in the chocolate will probably make my hair stand on end, but I need it. And you look like you do, too. I’m so sorry about Will.”

  Kyra kept her gaze on the teakettle she was filling at the sink. “It was a rough weekend, but it’s over. You’ve got the bigger problem.” Setting the kettle on the stove, she busied herself with getting out cups, saucers, spoons, and tea bags.

  Emily waited for Kyra to sit before she laid a hand on her forearm. “You care about Will. I have to say that I think he cares about you, too, since he got his sister to take on our case.”

  Kyra sighed. “That’s the kicker. He does care about me. Just not as anything more than a friend with benefits.” Kyra looked down at Emily’s comforting hand and felt the glow of a budding friendship. “I feel more for him than he does for me and that doesn’t work for either of us.”

  “Well, crap.” Emily sighed. “Maybe he just doesn’t recognize how he really feels about you.”

  Kyra met Emily’s eyes. “Let’s face it . . . his world and mine are so far apart they might as well be separate planets. It would take a heck of a lot of feelings to bridge that divide, especially since his mother thinks I’m poor white trash.”

  “I believed that about the differences between Max and me,” Emily said. “But it turns out that the problem of money can be overcome.” She made a comic face. “His mother I can’t help you with.”

  “His mother is just a symbol of the biggest divide. I’m blue-collar Pennsylvania and he’s blue-blood Connecticut. College sort of smooths out those kinds of differences. You all live in the same dorms. You all take the same classes. You all go to the same frat parties. Some people dress better than others, of course. But it’s more of a meritocracy. If you’re smart, you’re accepted. That’s one reason I loved it so much.”

  The teakettle whistled and Kyra got up to pour the tea.

  “I never went to college,” Emily said, her voice wistful. “I took classes at the county extension, but that’s not the same. I envy you.”

  Kyra didn’t remind Emily that her higher education had laste
d only two years and led to nothing but debt. At least she had been given the experience Emily had missed, so maybe she should feel some gratitude. “Brunell was like the best dream I’d ever had, except better because I learned so much.”

  As Kyra sat down, Emily picked up her cupcake and held it toward Kyra as though it were a glass of wine in a toast. Kyra touched her cupcake to Emily’s. “Here’s to the healing powers of chocolate!”

  Kyra bit into the pastry and closed her eyes as the flavor and aroma of rich, dark sweetness filled her senses. “Oh my God, who needs a man when you can have this cupcake?”

  Emily giggled. “Men are less fattening.”

  The giggle was infectious and Kyra found herself joining in. Even though their laughter was pure release of tension, it felt good to be silly and girly while they savored their cupcakes. Kyra had so little free time that she’d never been able to build close friendships with other women. Cleo at Stratus was probably her closest female friend, and that relationship rarely extended beyond work because they were both so tired at the end of their shifts.

  Kyra had always seen Emily as the center’s director, not someone she could relax with. But maybe Emily could be a friend. Kyra certainly needed one.

  Once the chocolate confections were devoured, the giggles stopped.

  “I don’t think you should give up on Will,” Emily said, wiping her sticky fingers on a paper towel. “After all, Max was all set to move to Chicago before he met me. Look where he lives now.”

  Still in New York City. Rumor had it that he’d spent a lot of money to rewrite his contract with the corporation to which he’d sold his business. He’d done it because Emily wouldn’t uproot herself or her daughter from the community they were such a part of. That was true love.

  “You’re a lucky woman,” Kyra said. “Will made his choice and I need to respect it.”

  Emily took a sip of tea before she settled her gaze on Kyra. “I should warn you that Isaiah has invited Will to his K-9 Angelz adoption ceremony on Wednesday. Evidently, Will helped him choose the dog’s name. I know that I’ve asked all staff members to be present for the event, but I’ll excuse you if you want. And, of course, Will may not come.” Emily sighed. “I’m not even certain we should hold the ceremony, in light of Felicia’s situation, but Isaiah would be heartbroken. I just can’t do that to him.”

  An unwelcome thrill of excitement ran through Kyra at the possibility of seeing Will until she remembered the effect of just one phone call from him. For her own emotional protection, she needed to find a way to be out of the center when he came. But the adoption ceremonies were important events in the kids’ lives at the center. She refused to miss one because she was a coward.

  “No, it’s not a problem. I’ll be there.” Kyra spoke in a firm voice, trying to convince herself. She had to change the subject. “Have you spoken with Schuyler yet?”

  Emily nodded. “She’s terrific, very reassuring. She’s going to set up a meeting with Davina and Mr. Allen tomorrow. We may be able to save Shaq, but I don’t think he can come back to the center. Once a dog has bitten a child, he’s considered dangerous.”

  “That dog is less dangerous than I am,” Kyra said, putting her teacup down so hard the saucer rattled.

  “I wish I knew what had made him go after Felicia,” Emily said. “But I guess it doesn’t really matter.” She sipped her tea. “I want to make sure Felicia gets all the medical care she needs, including the plastic surgery. I’ve asked Schuyler to see if Davina will let Ben Cavill look at her daughter.”

  Dr. Cavill was a high-end concierge doctor who used the fees paid by his wealthy clients to fund a free health-care clinic in South Harlem. He worked there as much as his schedule permitted and recruited other doctors to donate their time to the clinic as well. The Carver Center’s nurse thought Ben Cavill walked on water.

  “Will the center’s insurance cover the medical bills?”

  Emily sighed. “The essential medical ones, yes. The plastic surgery? I don’t know yet. But we have to make sure Felicia is able to heal completely and have full use of her arm, so we’ll figure out some way to make it happen.”

  “How about the K-9 Angelz program? Will it continue?”

  “That’s still up in the air. I don’t know how the parents will feel about this. They may decide it’s too dangerous for their children, and I have to respect their wishes.”

  “Maybe you could just eliminate the K-9 slumber party experiment.”

  “That’s already done.” Emily stared into her teacup, her expression one of regret. “The kids loved the idea. It made them feel like they truly owned the dogs.”

  Now it was Kyra’s turn to lay her hand on Emily’s. “The parents know how much the K-9 Angelz program means to the kids. They’ll support it.”

  “There’s always been a small group of parents whose kids don’t like or don’t want dogs. Until now, those parents didn’t have any concrete reason to object because we always gave those kids a dog-free space. Now . . .” She waved her hand in a helpless gesture.

  Kyra saw tears standing in Emily’s eyes. “I’ll talk to Gloria. She’ll rally the troops.”

  Her landlady was one of the center’s trustees and a moving force in the neighborhood. When she got behind a cause, she was virtually unstoppable.

  “Let’s wait until we know more about how the case will shake out. I don’t want to stir up any more trouble than we already have.” Emily smiled. “It means a lot to have your support.”

  After the snack had been served, Kyra was in the kitchen rearranging the jumbled flatware in the dishwasher when Diego walked in. “Hey, Ms. Kyra, need some help?”

  “Thanks, but I’m almost done.” She retrieved some forks that had fallen out of the baskets and slotted them in place again.

  “You said you got more food for Shaq?” Diego said.

  Diego knew where to look for Shaq’s food, but Kyra said, “It’s in the green fridge, as usual.”

  The boy still stood with his hands shoved in his jeans pockets, staring at his sneakers. “Ms. Kyra, you been around Shaq. Do you think he bit Felicia?”

  Kyra rinsed her hands and turned to face the boy as she dried them on a paper towel. “I think if Felicia says he did, then we have to believe her. She loves Shaq and wouldn’t want to blame him for something he didn’t do.”

  Diego shook his head. “Something ain’t right about this. I need to talk to Felicia direct.”

  “That’s not a good idea right now, buddy,” Kyra said. “Ms. Gibson is suing the center and doesn’t want anyone here to have contact with Felicia.”

  “That’s what Ms. Emily said.” Diego gave her a sly, sideways look. “But I’m just a kid. I don’t work here or nothing.”

  “Or anything.” Kyra corrected him automatically.

  “Yeah, or anything.”

  Kyra sat down and gestured for him to do the same. “Seriously, you shouldn’t do this. It could complicate an already complicated situation. The center has a terrific lawyer representing us, so let her do her job. Although I understand your concern.”

  “Ms. Emily say that Shaq can’t come back here. That ain’t fair if he didn’t do nothing . . . anything wrong. He’ll go back to the shelter and pit bulls don’t get adopted easy.”

  “Can you be patient, Diego? There’s a meeting tomorrow between everyone involved. Let’s see what happens. Then we’ll discuss our options.”

  He ducked his head once in assent. “You know, Ms. Emily be all nice and worried, so I can’t talk to her like I can talk to you.”

  “Is there a compliment in there somewhere?” Kyra asked, but she felt honored that Diego would confide in her.

  Diego laughed. “I don’t mean you’re not nice, too, but you’re more . . . like tough, street-smart.”

  “That’s a compliment for sure.” She reached out to ruffle his hair, and this time he didn’t avoid her touch. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a good home for Shaq.”

  Even if she had to
adopt the dog herself.

  Chapter 17

  “When was the last time you darkened the door of my office?” Schuyler stood up from her desk as Will strolled in late Tuesday afternoon.

  He leaned across the huge mahogany surface to kiss her on the cheek. “Nice greeting, sister o’ mine.”

  “Seriously, I’m honored you came here,” Schuyler said. “A real live CEO in my humble place of work.”

  Will made a rude gesture as he sat in one of the leather armchairs in front of her desk. “You meet with CEOs all the time, so don’t bullshit me.”

  “Yeah, but I have to go to them. Want a drink?” Schuyler walked over and touched a hidden switch in the built-in bookcases. One section of shelves swung open to reveal a well-stocked bar.

  “Scotch, please.” Will scanned the room, noting the view of the Empire State Building and the small but separate seating area. “You’ve come up in the world, officewise.”

  “When I got promoted to junior partner, Dad decided I could have a better office without it looking like nepotism. Of course, the other junior partners have offices twice the size of mine. Not that I care, honestly. This one is fine.”

  She handed Will a glass and dropped into the chair beside him, turning it so she faced him. “Cheers!” She touched her glass to his.

  While he sipped his scotch, he examined his sister with the same attention he’d given her office. “You look tired.”

  “Thanks, bro.” She made a wry face at him. “I have a big corporate case that I’m working on at the same time as this Carver Center situation. Burning the candle at both ends.”

  “Pass the Carver case on to an associate,” Will said, as guilt pricked at him. “That’s what I expected you to do.”

  Schuyler shook her head. “The Carver case is what makes the corporate case bearable.” She took a swallow of her drink. “You came to hear about it, didn’t you?”

  “How’d the meeting go?” Schuyler had set up a meeting earlier in the day with Davina Gibson, Titus Allen, and Emily to see where they all stood on the case.