“Congratulations, Mr. Vice President. I’ll expect a complete progress report every thirty days.”
Luke tipped his head in acknowledgment, a wide grin filling his face. “Not a problem.”
John lifted his leather portfolio from the table. Moving toward the door, he turned back to the group assembled. “Let’s get to work, people. You all have a neighborhood to rebuild.”
The three men were like proud fathers celebrating a son’s greatest accomplishments. Luke had lost count of the number of times they’d slapped him on the back with joy. Each look of pride bolstered what Luke had known all along. He was ready and capable of doing good things in the world.
He lifted his glass of champagne in another toast, Dom Perignon flowing with ease. “To the rejuvenation project,” he chimed cheerily.
His brothers lifted their glasses in response. “To you, little brother,” Mark chimed. “A job well done.”
“And much success,” John added. “We’re very proud of you, Luke.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what’s on your agenda tonight?” Mark asked, leaning back in his seat. “Are you planning to celebrate your promotion by doing something special?”
“I think Joanne and I are just going to go to dinner,” Luke answered. “Jo-anne!” Mark said teasingly, emphasizing the syllables in her name. “You and Jo-anne have been spending a whole lot of time together lately.”
Luke shrugged, a goofy expression painting his face. “Not really.”
“Really,” Mark said. He looked toward Matthew and John. “The woman is at the house every night and every morning!”
“Don’t hate,” Matthew laughed. “What happened? Now that you’re this responsible husband and soon-to-be father, you forget what it’s like to be young and carefree?”
John laughed. “Oh, he hasn’t forgotten. He just never thought our baby brother would ever be getting more loving than he’s ever gotten.”
Mark waved him off. “I still hold the record, thank you very much.”
The brothers all laughed warmly together.
“So,” John said, spinning around in his executive’s chair. “Are you and Joanne getting serious?”
Luke smiled. “We’re enjoying each other. Neither one of us is interested in rushing into anything.”
“That’s a good thing,” Matthew responded. “Don’t be like these two. Take your time with it. If she loves you, she’s not going anywhere.”
Mark cut an eye toward John. Both men grinned widely. John shook his head. “And if you love her…well…” he paused, his broad shoulders shrugging.
“Do what any good Stallion man would do. Don’t let her get away,” Mark finished for him.
John lifted his champagne glass. “Preach, my brother!”
The Peony Gardens was a cute little Asian bistro that Luke had insisted she meet him at for dinner. He’d promised a surprise, and the excitement in his voice had been palpable. Joanne had arrived early and was seated at a table that was said to be Mr. Stallion’s favorite. Glancing around the room, Joanne could easily see why. From where she sat she had a marvelous view of the water fountains that trickled softly over slate and sandstone. A saltwater fish tank filled an entire wall. Joanne marveled at the brightly colored aquatic life that seemed oblivious to their stares. As soft music billowed from perfectly placed speakers, Joanne could easily understand what Luke found so appealing about the place. The décor was ultra serene and comfortable.
She heard her name being called from across the crowded room. Recognizing the shrill tone, Joanne suddenly wished she could crawl right under a table and disappear. Unfortunately, there would be no avoiding the prim and proper Mrs. Preston Ragsdale III.
“Joanne? Joanne Lake! How are you, darling?” the woman droned, saddling up to where Joanne was seated. The robust woman leaned to air-kiss both of Joanne’s cheeks.
Joanne forced a polite smile on her face, glancing over the older woman’s shoulder to the restaurant’s front door. “Mrs. Ragsdale, how are you?”
“Just peachy, dear, just peachy! Are you dining alone?” the woman asked, looking around as if a date might mysteriously appear in the seat across from Joanne.
“No, ma’am. I’m meeting a friend.”
The older woman nodded, her eyebrows raising ever so slightly. “We haven’t seen you in ages, dear. I was just saying to your father that it’s been ages since we last saw you.”
Joanne nodded. “I’m sure my father told you that business has been keeping me quite busy.”
“Charles was saying you’re toying with some design thing for us big girls.” The woman chuckled as if there was something humorous about that fact.
Joanne could feel her mouth threatening to pull into a dark frown as Mrs. Ragsdale continued.
“I told Charles to just leave you be. My daughter tried her hand at all sorts of frivolous activities before she finally settled down and married. And that center? Are you still volunteering all your time down there?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s so admirable. But you’re not going to find a husband down there, Joanne.”
“I wasn’t really looking for a husband, Mrs. Ragsdale. I just enjoy serving the community.”
“Huh,” the woman grunted, as if the thought of helping someone other than herself was difficult to comprehend. “I keep saying I need to make a donation of some kind. Donations are tax deductible, aren’t they?”
Joanne fought to keep the annoyance from showing on her face. She quickly changed the subject. “How is Danielle?” she asked politely.
“She’s doing quite well. She married Harold Rollins you know,” the woman said, pausing to take a deep breath. “The senator from Maryland,” she added, when Joanne’s expression failed to register her son-in-law’s name. “And they’re expecting any day now,” she added for good measure.”
“How exciting,” Joanne exclaimed. She stole a second glance toward the door. To her dismay, Luke was stepping over the threshold. Joanne could feel her stomach tighten into a knot.
“Well, it was very nice to see you again, Mrs. Ragsdale,” Joanne added quickly, reaching up from her seat to air-kiss the woman back. “I’d love to do lunch with you and Danielle after she has her baby.”
“That would be very nice. I’ll definitely call you,” Mrs. Ragsdale was saying just as Luke reached the table.
“Mrs. Ragsdale, what a surprise,” Luke gushed politely, greeting the matriarch warmly.
“Luke Stallion! Imagine running into you. What brings you to this side of town?”
Luke leaned down to kiss Joanne’s lips. “Hey, you,” he whispered softly before lifting himself back up. “Just meeting my favorite girl for dinner,” he said aloud.
Mrs. Ragsdale looked clearly amused. “My, my, my, Joanne. I was worrying about you finding a husband, and here you are keeping company with one of our more eligible young men. This one comes from some fine Texas stock,” she teased, reaching to brush a palm across Luke’s cheek. “Some very fine stock, indeed!”
Luke laughed. “Do you two know each other?”
The woman looked from him to her and back again. “Oh, my, yes. I’ve know Joanne since—”
“Forever!” Joanne interrupted, her voice rising slightly. A nervous giggle bubbled past her lips. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for that donation, Mrs. Ragsdale. And yes, they’re all tax deductible.”
“Then the check is in the mail,” the woman answered, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Well, you two young people enjoy your meal. The sushi is absolutely divine. Make sure you try the sashimi appetizer. It’s a wonderful display of tuna and salmon.”
“We’ll do that,” Joanne said, waving goodbye. “And thank you!”
As the woman walked away, Luke couldn’t help but notice the blanket of relief that seemed to wash over Joanne’s spirit. Her expression was amusing as she tried to not let the emotion show.
“Mrs. Ragsdale is quite the character. Where do you two
know each other from?” Luke asked curiously.
Joanne smiled a weak smile. Lifting her glass of iced water from the table, she sipped it slowly before answering. “The community center,” she answered, a little white lie slipping off her tongue.
Luke nodded his head. “Her husband and my brother John have had some business dealings.”
“So, how was your day?” Joanne asked, wanting to move the conversation as far from the subject of the Ragsdale family as she could. “What was your exciting news?”
Luke grinned, his broad chest seeming to widen where he sat. “You are looking at the newest vice president of Stallion Enterprises. I’ll be overseeing the rejuvenation project as well as establishing a whole division dedicated to community restructuring and development.”
Joanne’s face beamed with pride. “Oh, sweetie, that’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, jumping from her seat to wrap her arms around his thick neck. “That’s so exciting!”
Luke hugged her warmly, enjoying the feel of having the woman in his arms. He returned the kiss she planted on his mouth, allowing his lips to linger against the warmth of hers. Joanne settled herself down beside him, snuggling beneath the weight of the arm he wrapped around her.
The moment was interrupted by the petite Asian woman who arrived to take their order. “Mr. Stallion, would you and your guest like to start with drinks and an appetizer?”
“I’d love a cup of green tea,” Joanne said, looking toward Luke for assistance. “But you order the food.”
Luke chuckled warmly, placing an order for selections of raw fish with rice-and-veggie combinations.
As the waitress walked away, promising to return quickly, Joanne shook her head. “As you can probably tell by the width of my rear end, I’m more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl.”
Luke ran a warm palm over her thigh, the heat from his fingers tickling the flesh beneath her linen slacks. “I like your rear end, and I love every one of your curves. If meat and potatoes did that for you, then you can trust I’ll be keeping you in full supply whenever you wish. You’ve been well blessed, my darling!”
Joanne laughed. “On that note, I’m going to excuse myself to the ladies’ room. Don’t eat all the bait before I get back.”
Inside the immaculate chamber, Joanne stared into the mirror. She had to tell Luke the truth, she thought to herself. The deception had clearly gone too far. Nor did it truly make any sense to her. Joanne couldn’t begin to imagine Luke not wanting to be with her just because of who her father was. Mrs. Ragsdale had been too close a call, and it was only a matter of time before another one of their mutual acquaintances mentioned that she had a father in Luke’s presence.
Joanne splashed her face with cool water. Luke would understand, she mused, pondering the conversation the two would have about her history. She pressed a paper towel against the moisture. Luke wouldn’t take offense at her not having opened up her personal life to him so soon. Besides, it wasn’t like she actually lied. Joanne hoped Luke would understand. She heaved a deep sigh. She would make him understand, she thought, still staring at herself in the mirror as she navigated that conversation in her mind. Joanne took a deep breath, moving toward the exit. There was no time like the present she thought, before she had a change of mind.
Back at the table, Luke was engaged in conversation on his cell phone. He smiled as she sat down, gesturing with his index finger that he’d be done in a quick minute. When he disconnected the call he looked less than pleased about something.
“Is everything okay?” Joanne asked, concern tinting her tone.
The man nodded. “Just a negotiation snag with one of my contractors. Nothing that can’t be fixed.”
At that moment the waitress returned with their meal, two exceptionally large platters of well-formed Asian delicacies for them to enjoy. Joanne’s eyes widened at the sight. Looking at Luke, she could only shake her head.
The man lifted a shrimp-and-rice combination from the plate with a set of wooden chopsticks, dipping it into a tiny dish of soy sauce. Guiding it toward her mouth, he encouraged her to give the treat a try. “Taste this,” Luke said softly. “I promise you’ll love it.”
Pressing her palm to the back of his hand, Joanne guided it past her lips, chewing it slowly. It tasted better than anticipated, as she savored the delicate combination of flavors. “Not bad, Mr. Stallion, not bad at all,” she said.
“I’d never steer you wrong, Ms. Lake. Never.”
Joanne was suddenly moved by Luke’s brilliant smile. She adjusted the napkin in her lap, folding it over and over again. “Luke, there’s something I need—” she started, just as the cell phone on the table chimed for attention.
“I’m sorry, baby, I really need to take this call,” Luke said, flipping the device open. “Luke Stallion.”
Joanne heaved a heavy sigh, reaching for another piece of sushi. Maybe the conversation could wait until later, she mused. She nodded her head ever so slightly. Later would probably be better for them both.
Chapter 16
Matthew’s stare was locked on John’s face. John’s gaze was locked on the three well-dressed men exiting the doors of the private, members-only club. The afternoon meeting they’d just completed hadn’t gone as well as either would have hoped. Both men gestured for their waiter at the same time.
“Bring us another round,” Matthew said to the young man who’d rushed to their side, eager to please them both.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Stallion. Will you gentlemen be staying for dinner this evening?” the young man asked, looking from one to the other.
John met his brother’s gaze. “No, thank you, Darryl. I’m headed home to my wife.”
“I’m going home to his wife, too,” Matthew said with a wry smile.
Darryl looked at him curiously.
“Family dinner,” Matthew said, explaining himself.
John shook his head, his gaze moving back to the door, the three well-dressed men no longer in view.
Matthew sensed the thoughts that were racing through his brother’s mind. “So, what now?” he questioned.
John’s expression was stoic. He met his brother’s gaze. “Well, we know which shareholders will support us and which won’t. So we do the only thing we can do. Prepare for a proxy fight. Do we know anything about E-Kal yet?”
Matthew shrugged. “We know they’re privately owned. We know they sit under the umbrella of two other parent companies, and we know that for some reason someone has gone to some significant lengths to keep their true ownership under wraps. We know as much as any other citizen off the street knows.”
“And we have no other leads?”
Matthew smiled, lifting a freshly filled glass of bourbon to his lips. “I didn’t say that.”
John chuckled. “And you’ll share this wealth of information soon, I hope?”
“Very soon. The private investigator I put on this says they’ll have a report to us in another day or so.”
John nodded, reaching for his own glass. “Have you talked to Mark today? I left a message that we were going to meet here, but he never returned my call.”
“He flew to Chicago to interview a potential driver for the race team. Said that with him and Mitch expecting, he wants to cut back on his driving. Doesn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”
“I can appreciate that.”
Matthew nodded.
“How are you doing?” John asked, sibling concern filling his spirit. “What’s happening with you and Vanessa?”
Matthew chuckled. “You sound like your wife now.”
“You two have us curious. All Vanessa talks about is her baby, and you’re not talking at all.”
The man smirked. “There’s really nothing to tell. Vanessa’s having a baby, and like the rest of you I will support her in any way I can.”
“Is that your way of telling me to stay out of your business?”
“That’s my way of ending the conversation because there is nothing to tell.” Mat
thew changed the subject. “How’s Luke doing?”
John shifted the topic with him, duly noting Matthew’s sudden discomfort. He knew when to push and when not to. He also knew that his brother would share what he wanted, when he wanted. “He’s making some impressive strides. At the rate his project is moving, he should finish earlier than projected and well under budget.”
“Good business.”
“Very good business!” John gestured with his head. “Has he talked to you about him and Joanne?”
Matthew shrugged. “Not really, but he seems serious. He says they’re just enjoying each other, but they’re worse than you and Marah were. They’re spending all their free time together.”
John chuckled. “Don’t hate. This, too, could be your life.”
Matthew laughed with him. “I like my life just fine, thank you very much.”
The two men continued to chat comfortably as they savored the last of their cocktails. Their time was interrupted by the waiter and the club’s manager rushing to the table. The man extended his hand toward John and then Matthew, shaking theirs eagerly.
“Matthew, I hate to interrupt, but we have a situation.”
“What’s wrong, Daniel?”
“The police are at the front desk. It would seem that someone stole your Mercedes from the parking lot. There was a chase and it was involved in an accident on I-35.”
“Well, I’ll be…” Matthew started, the words stalling on his tongue.
John rose from his seat, and Matthew followed suit. “Do you know if anyone was hurt, Daniel?”
“They didn’t say, but an officer would like to speak with the owner.”
The two men followed on the manager’s heels as Darryl brought up the rear behind them. John threw a look over his shoulder, giving his brother a smug smile. “I really liked that car on you, too.”
Joanne was curled up on the Brooks family sofa, her head nestled in Mama Estelle’s lap. The older woman was gently stroking her brow, clucking softly under her breath. Joanne swiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
Lost in a Stallion's Arms (Kimani Romance) Page 13
