Something tiny and almost unrecognizable had begun to unfurl inside her as she traced her fingers over the shiny letters. Kaitlin didn’t have much experience with hope, but she recognized it just the same. That night, she’d loaded her meager belongings into a backpack and the next morning set off out of the city and toward her new beginning, leaving a note for Robbie not to look for her.
“Earth to the woman in the gray dress.”
She glanced up as the deep voice invaded her meandering thoughts. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the imposing man frowning down at her. Dark hair, piercing blue eyes and broad shoulders that looked almost out of place contained in the expensive suit he wore.
“Sorry,” she said automatically, then inwardly cringed. Jack had told her she needed to stop saying sorry for everything, that it showed a weakness and self-doubt she shouldn’t let people see. But apologies still rolled off her tongue like a snowball down an alpine ski slope. “I was daydreaming,” she continued with a half smile, as if that wasn’t totally obvious. As if she owed this tense stranger an explanation.
“Right,” he agreed. “You get what you pay for.”
Ouch. So much for the pleasantries of casual conversation. Kaitlin straightened her shoulders. “Can I help you?”
“Is he in?” The man inclined his head toward Jack’s office.
“Do you have an appointment?”
One side of the stranger’s full mouth curved up. “Not exactly.”
“Mr. Samuelson has a busy calendar,” she lied. Despite her resolve to be different than she used to be, lying still came naturally to Kaitlin. A fact that had worked in her favor the past six months. “If you leave your name and number, I can get you added to his schedule.”
“He’ll see me now,” the man insisted, his gaze locked on the closed oak door.
Kaitlin might be good at apologies, but she was even better at standing her ground when the situation called for it. This situation called for it.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She stood, moving quickly to block the man’s progress.
He blinked, as if he’d never had anyone deny him a request before. She could well imagine that no woman had ever denied him.
One smoldering glance from those blue eyes framed by heavy brows and model-sharp cheekbones and most of the women she knew would melt in a puddle at his feet.
Good thing Kaitlin wasn’t much of a melter any longer.
“Are you going to step aside?” he asked, one dark brow arching. “Or shall I move you?”
“I’m going with door number three,” she told him with her phoniest smile. “Leave your name and number. I’ll put you on Mr. Samuelson’s schedule.” Out of the corner of her eye she could see that one of the personal bankers, Missy, had come out of her office and was waving at Kaitlin as if to warn her of something.
Kaitlin didn’t melt and she refused to back down. Not after everything Jack Samuelson had done for her. No one in the office might understand why the bank’s owner needed her protection, but it didn’t change the fact that he did.
The stranger took a step toward her. “I’m seeing him now.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You lay a hand on me, and I’ll call the police so fast it will make your smug head spin.”
“I have Nick Dunlap’s cell number,” he said evenly. “Would you like me to dial?”
Why would this guy know Starlight’s police chief so well? She studied him for a moment longer, then stifled a gasp. Those bright blue eyes and thick brows... She knew another man who had them.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
“Finn Samuelson,” he answered. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see my dad.”
Jack’s estranged son was back. Heart hammering in her chest, Kaitlin automatically took a step away and watched Jack’s estranged son walk past her and enter his father’s office. The door closed behind him with a decisive click.
Chapter Two
Finn drew a shallow breath as he stepped into his father’s inner sanctum. The office still smelled of polished wood and judgment, as if the cherry bookshelves and executive desk held him up for appraisal, only to find him lacking.
He gave a small shake of his head, the thought that the bank held any sway over him after so many years preposterous. He sniffed again and caught the faint scent of vanilla, like the woman who was his father’s gatekeeper had tried to infuse the space with a bit of warmth.
Good luck with that.
His father hadn’t turned around in the oversize leather chair that sat behind the desk. Finn glanced out at the view of downtown Starlight. The main lobby of the bank operated on the ground level, with executive offices and private banking handled from the second floor.
Finn had worked summers and holidays in the bank all through high school, but he’d avoided his dad’s office. There were too many reminders of the past and the legacy he never believed was his due. Photos of his relatives lined the bookshelves, including several of his great-great-grandparents at the bank’s grand opening. Starlight had been little more than a pit stop for pioneers back then. First Trust had seen the town through booms and busts and remained an institution he’d always link with his past.
He cleared his throat, but his father still didn’t turn. Had the far-too-pretty assistant somehow warned him about Finn’s arrival? She seemed pit bull protective, but he couldn’t imagine her as a master of mental telepathy. Unfortunately, he easily imagined her as the master of every one of his fantasies.
He couldn’t pinpoint what it was about the beautiful blonde with the milk-chocolate eyes and curves for miles, but his immediate awareness of her had gone way beyond sensible. If she was on Team Jack Samuelson, clearly Finn needed to keep his distance.
“Hey, Dad,” he said, frowning when he got no response.
He stepped around the desk and his heart froze. His father’s head was bent forward, eyes closed and hands in prayer position over his chest. His hair was almost pure white, deep lines fanning from his eyes. Somehow he’d aged a lifetime in the decade Finn had been gone.
There was no way...
“Dad!”
Finn sucked in a breath as his father startled at hearing his name shouted. He blinked several times, then glanced up at Finn. For a moment it was as if he didn’t recognize his own son. Yes, it had been over ten years, but Finn had always resembled his dad’s side of the family. Plus, this was his dad. What the hell...
“Finneas?” the older man whispered after a moment.
“Yeah.” Finn concentrated on keeping his voice steady. “I’m in town for Daniel’s funeral so I thought—”
Suddenly his father stood and wrapped his arms around Finn’s shoulders. “Son. I’ve missed you.”
“Um...okay.” Finn swallowed back the ball of emotion welling in his throat. This certainly wasn’t the reception he’d expected. He couldn’t remember ever being hugged by his dad. A hearty clap on the shoulders was the most he’d gotten and that was after being named valedictorian of his senior class.
“Are you returning to Starlight?”
Now it was Finn’s turn to blink. “No, Dad. My life is in Seattle. You know that.” The delivery might be softer than before, but his father could still land an emotional punch like a prizefighter.
Jack stared at him for a moment, his eyes clear and far too familiar, searching for something Finn didn’t know how to offer. Then he nodded and let out a long breath. “You always had bigger dreams than Starlight could make come true.”
Finn gave a startled laugh. That was one of the nicest things his dad had ever said to him. Back in high school, Jack had seemed to take great pleasure in making Finn feel like there was something wrong with him for wanting more.
He stepped back, putting the desk between himself and his father. He needed some kind of a buffer. He’d imagined talking
to his dad a million times since leaving Starlight. Never would he have guessed he’d feel anything but anger and bitterness. Where had this version of his father been when Finn needed him most?
“You’re a big success in Seattle,” Jack said, lowering himself back into the chair.
It was a statement, not a question, and the pride in his father’s voice shocked Finn to the core.
“I’m on target to be named partner this year.”
“Congratulations. We should have dinner tonight as an early celebration. Will you come to the house?”
“Sure,” Finn answered, still dumbfounded. “I didn’t think you’d—”
“Jack?”
Finn turned as his father’s assistant entered the office. She darted a worried glance between the two of them, and he wondered how much she knew about his relationship with his dad.
“Kaitlin, have you met my son?” His father leaned forward in his chair. “He’s a big-shot banker in Seattle.”
“You’ve mentioned that,” she said, walking forward. She shoved her hand toward Finn, her gaze trained on the middle of his chest instead of looking him in the eye. He was oddly disappointed. “I’m Kaitlin Carmody. I work for your dad. Obviously.”
“Finn Samuelson,” he replied, trying not to notice the softness of her skin as he shook her hand. “You’re not from Starlight.”
“No,” she confirmed, snatching back her hand. He couldn’t figure out why she seemed so nervous.
“Jack, you have an appointment with Ernie in the mayor’s office.”
“Right,” his father agreed. “I guess Finn isn’t the only big shot around here. The bank is underwriting the Starlight Art Festival.”
Finn frowned at the comparison, then noticed Kaitlin’s mouth thin. “You haven’t committed to anything yet,” she told Jack. “You wanted to ensure they were going to have appropriate marketing and signage.”
He waved a hand as he stood. “I don’t need reminding,” he snapped. “This is my bank and I can still make the best decisions for its future.”
There was the Jack Samuelson that Finn remembered.
“Of course,” Kaitlin said softly.
“I could show you a thing or two about the art of a deal.” Jack pointed to Finn, then straightened his tie. “We’ll compare notes over dinner. Kaitlin will have the food ready at seven. Don’t be late.”
Without another word for either of them, Finn’s dad left the office, his gait slow and measured.
“You cook for him?” Finn asked, his mind reeling.
“Um...” Color flooded Kaitlin’s cheeks. “Sometimes.”
What was he missing about this woman’s relationship with his dad? He couldn’t put a finger on it, but some instinct made him certain there was more to it than she was admitting. “But you’re his assistant at the bank,” he prompted.
She nodded.
“Are you his girlfriend, too?” he forced himself to ask.
Her mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. “Of course not. He’s old enough to be my dad.”
He didn’t bother to point out that plenty of women dated older men. The second wife of AmeriNat’s North American CEO, a man in his early sixties, was younger than Finn.
“How long have you been at the bank?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Two years,” she mumbled.
“Your background is in finance?”
She started to shake her head, then stopped, her shoulders going stiff. “Is there a reason for this interrogation?”
Finn ran a hand through his hair. “I haven’t seen my dad for over ten years, but he’s different than he used to be. I’m trying to figure out why.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered. “Jack is exactly the same as he’s always been.”
“Then you don’t know Jack,” he whispered.
She huffed out a small laugh at his pitiful joke, and the sound reverberated through him. He didn’t want to have that kind of visceral response to Kaitlin Carmody but couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“I need to get back to work,” she said with a pointed look.
“Sure,” he agreed, thoughts and emotions pinging through his mind. The physical changes were to be expected, but it was the transformation of his father’s personality that shocked him. Maybe the change in his dad had nothing to do with Kaitlin, but Finn remained unconvinced.
With a last look around the office, he slowly walked out, aware that Kaitlin followed like she was herding a recalcitrant child.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said, studying her classically beautiful features for a hint of...something. She flashed a tight grin and her dark eyes gave nothing away.
“Tonight,” she agreed.
Feeling summarily dismissed, he started down the hall, stopping to chat with several people who had worked at the bank for as long as he could remember.
The atmosphere was so different than his Seattle office. He got hugs and a few cheek pinches, made congratulatory remarks about graduations, weddings and grandchildren. Despite his absence, people treated him like he’d only been away for a short time instead of a decade.
In Seattle, his coworkers kept to themselves. Finn was management and had been pegged as the future of the division. That put a wall between him and everyone below him on the company totem pole, and until this moment he hadn’t realized how much it bothered him.
He might not have wanted the First Trust of Starlight as his future, but could appreciate the warm and welcoming atmosphere he associated with everyone except his dad. Now he was starting to doubt his own memories. Maybe his father hadn’t been as bad as he’d once thought. Jack might not have made updating the decor a priority, but he certainly engendered loyalty from his staff.
Was it possible the problem had actually been with Finn the whole time? As he walked out into the bright morning sunshine, he shook off the thought. He needed to call his sister. The last he’d heard from her, Ella was working at a hospital in a speck of a town somewhere in Argentina. She hadn’t put down roots since leaving Starlight, constantly traveling and spending months in remote parts of the world.
They managed to keep in touch whenever she had internet or cell service but could go long stretches without any type of communication. That didn’t change the bond they shared, and Ella would gladly remind him of all of their father’s faults.
He glanced up and down Starlight’s main street. There was a stoplight on the north end of downtown that hadn’t been there when he’d left. The mountains loomed in the distance as the light turned from red to green. Otherwise, the town looked much the same as he remembered. Some of the businesses had changed, but otherwise he felt as though he’d stepped back into a scene from his youth.
A gang of kids on mountain bikes rode by, happy voices and laughter trailing on the air in their wake. It reminded him of so many summer days when he, Parker and Nick had ridden for miles, exploring the trails and back roads surrounding the town.
Would his hypothetical children have that kind of freedom? Most of his coworkers’ kids seemed overscheduled and often glued to their devices, a sad shell of a childhood in Finn’s opinion.
He massaged a hand along the back of his neck. He was getting ahead of himself. He didn’t even have a wife, let alone kids. This trip to his hometown was supposed to clear out his emotional roadblocks so he could move ahead on both fronts. Right on schedule.
It was funny, actually. He’d bristled against his dad’s expectations and what he considered the proverbial prison of First Trust, but he was chained to his job in a way that would have horrified his younger self.
As he headed toward his BMW sedan, he told himself he’d chosen his life, which made all the difference. Too bad he was having trouble believing that at the moment.
“You’re Finn Samuelson, right?”
Finn turned as a middle-aged man approached from the entrance of the bank.
“That’s right.”
“Doug Meyer,” the man said, holding out a hand. “I’m your dad’s vice president.”
“Nice to meet you,” Finn said with a practiced smile. Doug had the job that would have been Finn’s at this point if he hadn’t left. He had no right to be annoyed, but he was anyway.
“I was wondering if I could bend your ear for a few minutes about a situation at the bank?”
Finn grimaced. “You must know I have no involvement at First Trust.”
“Of course,” Doug agreed quickly. “But it involves your father. I’m concerned about his recent behavior. Some things have changed.”
Like Jack Samuelson had grown a heart?
“Your dad won’t discuss the issues, and Kaitlin goes into dragon mode whenever I approach, so—”
“What does Kaitlin have to do with this?” Finn asked, his gut tightening.
“I’m not exactly certain, but things aren’t good. Someone has to do something. Maybe you can help.”
Hell, no.
Finn should walk away right now. He wanted nothing to do with the bank or any suspected problems in his father’s life, especially not if they had to do with Kaitlin Carmody.
“I have some time,” he answered, unable to stop himself.
Doug nodded. “Let’s grab a cup of coffee.” He pointed down the street toward the sign that said Main Street Perk. “I’d rather not get tongues wagging at the office.”
“Fine.” Finn fell in step with the shorter man, willing away the tension that crowded his shoulders. Whatever Doug had to say, Finn would listen, then politely explain he didn’t want to be involved. No problem.
* * *
Kaitlin dragged in a shuddery breath as the doorbell at Jack’s sprawling ranch-style house rang later that night.
She glanced out the kitchen window to where her boss practiced his putt on the tightly mowed green he’d had installed last year. Okay, she was answering the door.
The Best Intentions (Welcome To Starlight Book 1) Page 2
