Heart and Sole (16 page)

“Right. Got it.” When Nick looked up, Derrick was halfway down the hall, not bothering to wait for his answer.

Nick pulled out a plaid wool blanket and walked downstairs to the darkened family room. Hughie was sprawled on the couch with his legs high in the air, softly snoring. “Move over, buddy,” he said, nudging the dog aside.

Hugh snorted and rolled over, poking his big snout into Nick’s hands to demand a pet, licking them and getting ready to snuggle up. Nick scratched his ears, patted his massive back. “You’re not what I had in mind for tonight, Hugh boy, but you’ll have to do.”

Hughie turned on his back and used doggie body language to show he wanted his tummy rubbed.

Nick indulged the dog for a few minutes, then pulled a pillow off the back of the couch and laid down, tossing the blanket over both of them.

Chapter Eighteen

Birds chirped and warbled, a riot of birdie gossip right outside Maddie’s window that awakened her from a deep slumber. She pried open an eye to find her familiar old room coated in the gray light of an early summer dawn.

Nick
. Her blank slate of half-awakeness chalked up fast. She did a search mission with her arm around the rest of the bed, hoping he’d still be there.

Panic led her back to that night last year when she awakened to an empty bed. She knew he feared commitment, didn’t take emotional risks. But hadn’t he confessed their meeting in Atlanta was no accident? And that he hadn’t been with anybody since?

Last night he’d held her, whispered her name, like she was cherished and beloved. He’d looked at her like he knew exactly who she was. Like he
got
her like no one ever had before. She refused to let doubts creep in.

She would not allow the old family trouble to drive a wedge between them again. Today at the meeting she would announce her idea to work with Nick’s grandfather. Nick would be pleased. After all, he’d believed in and supported her from the get-go.

Once Samuel saw her drawings, she had every hope he’d be eager to work with her to get their designs in front of a real audience. The company would be improved and united, and their problems would be over. Then her life with Nick could finally start.

For the first time, she felt freedom to make her own choices, to love whom she wanted. To bring her ideas into the company, to give it a new injection of creativity—to take it in a direction
she
would define. The possibilities thrilled her.

She needed to find Nick, tell him that she didn’t want to waste another minute without him.

The sweet, pure realization made her clutch the back of her door for balance. Justin Timberlake looked at her, his expression baleful and smoldering.
Are you sure you want to give me up for him?
his youthful face seemed to ask.

She’d never been more certain.

Maddie pulled a T-shirt and girl boxers from her suitcase and yanked on her robe. She pulled open the door and gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream. Cat stood in the hall, her hand poised to knock. She wore a ratty pink bathrobe and her pretty blond curls were mussed, making Maddie recall pictures of the two of them from a childhood Christmas morning when they were toddlers. Except Cat’s eyes were puffy and swollen and she clutched a wad of Kleenex in one hand.

Maddie pulled her sister into her room and quietly shut the door. “What’s wrong?”

She knew the way her gut clenched that this was not something fixable, like a lost Barbie or a mean girl at school who made fun of Cat’s thick glasses or a boy who didn’t call. Those were things a big sister could fix with ice cream or a hot new CD or a few words of reassurance.

“Robert left. For good.” Tears streamed down Cat’s cheeks and her nose ran. Maddie steered her to the bed and propped up pillows behind her head.

“Oh, honey.” She touched her sister’s cheek, rubbed her arm, handed her more Kleenex from the bathroom.

“He said he was un-unhappy.” She hiccupped through tears.

“What was there to be unhappy about? You’re smart, ambitious, beautiful…”

A sudden sinking feeling made Maddie collapse onto her bed. “Oh, Cat. The money.” Waves of nausea struck and her gut twisted like a wrung-out rag. She thought back to the night of the auction. She’d turned to her sister impulsively, because she knew her sister would never let her down. Cat was one hundred percent loyal.

“This is my fault.” She wanted to tell Cat she’d replace the money immediately, but that would be a lie. She was weeks, if not months, away from a real paycheck.

“I gave it to you because you’re my sister,” Cat said. “You were only out to help Dad.”

Maddie had been out to save the company, but she couldn’t help wonder if some secretive, subconscious part of her had wanted Nick for completely different reasons.

She gripped her sister by the shoulders. She hated the idea of having a calculating, anal penny-pincher for a brother-in-law, but it wasn’t her choice to make. “Robert had a right to be angry about the money. I should never have asked you to bail me out like that.”

“That’s not the only reason he left.”

Maddie frowned.

“He couldn’t handle the chaos. The kids running around, you and Nick covered with pie, Grandmeel’s horrible confession. He said he calculated our risk of future unhappiness and it was way too high. And…there’s more.”

“More?”

“It’s…a little sexual.”

Oh God. Did he construct algorithms in bed? Did Maddie really want to know?

“He didn’t like…what I mean is, he didn’t want to…” Her face was red and she was stammering. “Let’s just say the one number he didn’t like was sixty-nine.”

Maddie blew out a breath of relief. That regimented bastard had really done a number on her. “Oh, Cat. It’s good he’s gone. Normal guys love sixty-nine.”

“I thought I wanted predictable, you know?”

Oh, Maddie knew. Safe. Orderly. Not dangerous. Like Cat’s longtime crush Preston Guthrie, Derrick’s longtime best friend and Nick’s business partner, whom she’d finally managed to get over. Ever since Cat suffered from horrendous asthma as a child, they’d all watched over her, tried to keep her safe and protected. But Preston had appealed disastrously to her very hidden wild side.

Cat dissolved into tears again.

“Whatever happened, you’re a wonderful sister, and I don’t deserve you.” She squeezed Cat tightly, like she’d done often when they were small children and she’d been overcome with the need to keep her safe. “I’ll make us some coffee, okay? Then we’ll talk.”

Cat nodded helplessly as Maddie went into big sister mode, plumping pillows and handing her more Kleenex. Too bad the real fix was much more complicated.

Maddie padded into the kitchen, where she quickly started the coffee, trying to be as quiet as possible. One glance over at the couch showed a big hairy lump covered with a blanket that was most certainly not Nick. Once the coffee pot started trickling, she went to have a better look.

Hughie was sprawled in all his glory over nearly the entire couch. The soft woolen blanket was tucked in under his chin. Nick lay with eyes closed on the floor, propped on his side against the couch with arms crossed in front of him. Hughie snorted, suddenly awake, and looked expectantly at Maddie. His tail began to pound thunderously against the leather cushions.

“Hughie! Off the couch!” Maddie said. Hughie’s ears drooped and he slunk off, gingerly stepping around Nick’s sleeping form. Maddie knelt down beside Nick, ruffled his messy hair, and kissed him on the forehead. “You should have stayed in my bed.”

Nick’s eyes opened, and his mouth tipped up in a slow grin. His already thick six a.m. stubble looked incredibly sexy. “Is that an invitation?” He looked around the dim room. “Because it looks like we still may have time for…”

Just then Alex and Logan came tearing into the room yelling and laughing and hurled themselves on Nick. Maddie plucked them off, but they toppled right back onto Nick like magnets, unable to stay away. “Quiet, guys, you’ll wake Grandma.”

“What are you two doing up so early?” Nick didn’t sound the least bit fazed that two little boys were sitting on him at six o’clock in the morning.

“Time for Power Rangers,” Alex said. He bounced up and down on Nick’s chest. His pajama bottoms displayed action heroes in primary colors jumping, leaping, and looking bad-assed.

“We watch them every morning. Will you get us breakfast, Aunt Maddie?” Logan asked.

Great. They were already separating along gender lines, looking to Nick for horsing-around-guy stuff and Maddie for supplying food.

“How about some dry cereal?” Nick asked. “I’ll get it.”

“Stay here and play.” Maddie got up to tend to the coffee. Alex handled the remote with skills better than most adults and found the correct channel. The boys spring boarded from Nick onto the couch and settled in.

“Uncle Nick, come watch with us.” Alex tugged on Nick’s T-shirt.

“Yeah, come watch.” Logan patted the couch next to him.

Hughie decided to accept the invitation for himself, hopping up and settling in.

Maddie saw the expression on Nick’s face morph from amusement to something deeper—a vulnerability she’d never seen. Like the lone kid on the playground who suddenly gets accepted into the group.

“Save me a seat, guys. I’ll get us some cereal.”

Nick got up and walked into the kitchen. “Hey there, beautiful.” Maddie felt his smile all the way down to her toes and in some other places, too.

As he reached above her head for a coffee mug, he kissed her forehead. His arm curled around her waist, and the tension inside her eased a little. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said. “Hey, I need to talk to you. After Power Rangers?”

Maddie froze in the middle of pouring Cat’s coffee. When guys wanted to talk after sex, it was never good. She searched his eyes for reassurance. “Should I worry?”

He met her gaze head on, but didn’t look as untroubled as she’d hoped. If he wasn’t always so calm and confident, she’d even peg him as nervous. Her heart somersaulted. “What is it?” Her own voice sounded foreign.

He set down the coffee and took up her hands in his big ones, smoothed her fingers with his thumbs. His warm, gentle touch soothed her. “Nothing to worry about. I just want to talk to you before the meeting today.” He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Maddie, last night was—”

“Hurry up, Uncle Nick. You’re missing the giant monster with nine heads.”

“—incredible,” he said, and Maddie’s heart gave an expectant leap. “I want you to know that.”

“I needed to hear that right now,” Maddie said. “Cat’s in my room. Robert left. I think for good.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised. Did she say why?”

Maddie’s stomach churned and it wasn’t from the strong coffee. “Cat said something about risk calculation, but I’m worried about something I might have done.”

“I know about the loan. Robert told me last night. If it makes you feel any better, I think there were some other issues going on between them.”

“I put her in a bad position.”

“I agree it wasn’t the best choice, but Robert is wealthy enough that making a contribution to a children’s hospital isn’t going to break him. Besides, if you hadn’t made the bet, I wouldn’t be here.” He bent and kissed her. “Is there anything I can do?”

Maddie nodded toward the boys. “Being with them is a good idea.”

“Happy to. I’ve got plenty of time before I pick my granddad up for breakfast. Is something else wrong? You look worried.”

Yeah, she was worried. He was his usual charming self but what was going through his head that he wanted to talk about? The business agreement between their families wasn’t sealed. Maybe he was having second thoughts. Worse, maybe he was having second thoughts about
her
. She’d thought they’d broken through a huge barrier last night but maybe she was wrong.

“You’re going to do great today.” He reached out to massage the worry lines between her eyes. Then he tapped her on the chest. “When in doubt, follow this.”

She already had followed her heart, and it had led her straight to him. Still, she couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling that the perfect day wasn’t going to be so perfect after all.

Chapter Nineteen

“Okay, we’re all set up.” Maddie looked around the boardroom and smiled that sweet, open smile Nick had come to love. There was something fragile about her that she hid well, despite her polished look in a black suit and heels and confident carriage. He knew how important this meeting was to her, how much she had riding on it.

“You’ll do great.” He saw the stress in her face, the faint traces of self-doubt that remained. The morning had got away from him. She’d been occupied with her sister and he’d left for breakfast with Gramps. He still hadn’t mentioned the shares.

Now, Nick. It’s your last chance.

“Maddie, I have to tell you something.”

Color rose in her cheeks. Her trusting smile twisted his guts. He didn’t make a point of lying, even if this was a lie of omission. He opened his mouth to speak but her entire family piled into the conference room, laughing and chatting, and took their places around the big mahogany table, where a box sat covered with a pink satin drape.

Derrick and Jenna and Maddie’s mother all sat. Cat was on a phone call, they explained, but would be here any second. Even Grandmeel came, dressed for Sunday church and looking nonplussed from last night’s scene. Only Maddie’s dad was missing, but that was because Maddie wanted to be certain all would go well before she laid out her plans to him.

“This is so exciting,” Rosalyn said. She took a picture on her phone of Maddie standing at the front of the conference room to send to Maddie’s father.

“Knock ’em dead, sis.” Derrick gave a thumbs-up sign and grinned.

“Isn’t Al coming?” Grandmeel asked suspiciously.

“He’s on his annual fishing trip in Canada and his flight got delayed, so he won’t be in until tonight,” Maddie said. “He’s given me his go-ahead, though.”

Cat approached Maddie, holding her cell phone against her chest. “The press is waiting outside. Apparently Bob Russland from the Buckleberry Gazette saw all the commotion over here on a Sunday morning and wondered what’s going on. He’s asking if you’d make a statement for tomorrow’s paper.”

“It’s too early for that, Cat,” Maddie said. “We’re just presenting ideas. Ultimately, we’ll need Dad’s approval.”

“I’ll try to hold him off, but you know how he is. Once he gets his hooks in a story, there’s no resting until it’s complete.”

“I won’t talk to anyone until Dad okays this plan. Besides, Uncle Al still has to go over some numbers with me.”

“Okay, Maddie. You’re the boss.”

Nick felt the crick in his neck ease up a little. With the CFO gone, no one would be crunching numbers today. Hell, he might even be able to get rid of those extra shares by tomorrow, sign them over to Maddie as proof of his good intentions.

From the far end of the gleaming conference table, amid the ever-present smell of leather and shoe polish, he watched Maddie’s presentation. She was feisty and animated and funny. She formally introduced his grandfather, and did it with grace and pride. “Samuel actually invented our patented orthopedic sole, and he’s spent the last two decades designing newer generations of it that are more cushioned, more comfortable, and, most amazing of all…designed for a high heel.”

The women around the table gasped.

“Here’s our current line-up of sturdy, dependable shoes.” A PowerPoint slide demonstrated the old tried-and-true models. “Cat, Jenna, do you own any of these?”

“I—er—I used to,” Cat said.

“Right. When you were twelve. I know because we both had the same pair.”

Jenna shook her head. “I can’t say I do, but I bought my grandma a pair and she loves them.”

“We want to keep the sturdy and dependable part and couple it with cute and gotta-have-it style.” She clicked the remote and the screen lit up with numerous shoes in bright colors. “Imagine flats in all colors and geometrics that support and cushion your foot so you can walk in them all day and still feel energized.” She clicked again. “Imagine heels that are actually comfortable. And baby-boomer shoes for people with foot issues in bright, vivid colors, not just white and beige and black. And lastly, imagine this.”

Maddie nodded to Samuel, who pulled back his chair and walked to the front of the table where he pulled off the pink silk cover. “This,” she said, “is the prototype of a shoe. I drew it, and Samuel did a quick mock-up for today. We call it
The Cinderella
.”

It was stunning, with lace and crystals, a silver platform, and a five-inch silver heel. As impractical and non-orthopedic as they came.

“We want to design this with our trademark sole. Samuel thinks it can be done. And we’re going to enter it in the Bergdorf shoe competition.”

Nick raised his brows. Innovative, stylish. Clever. Pride pulsed through him. Maddie deserved this. She’d worked hard for it. Her ideas were smart and forward-thinking.

His grandfather stood quietly beside Maddie, beaming. Nick had never seen him so proud or happy, except maybe on the day Nick had graduated from college.

“It’s ergonomically designed not to fatigue your foot. To take the pressure off the tarsal bones,” Samuel said. He sounded like a kid ordering from the ice cream truck.

Maddie’s mother raised her hand and spoke. “Maddie, this is all wonderful but I don’t want your father coming back to learn the whole company has changed. We’ve kept so much from him. I—I just don’t feel honest not having him here.”

“Daddy’s still the majority owner, Mom. We’d never proceed without him.”

Nick shifted in his seat. Everything was going well, so now was not the time to correct the misconception.

“That’s not exactly true, Madison.” A big voice boomed into the room. Everyone turned to watch a large, imposing man walk into the room, a cup of steaming black coffee in his hand. He wore khaki shorts and a fishing hat covered with lures.
Uncle Al
. Nick felt the hair at the back of his neck bristle. He sat up straight in his chair.

“Your new majority owner is sitting right here at the table. The wolf among sheep, so to speak. Morning, Mr. Holter. I’m Al Watson.”

Nick drew in a sharp breath and went into damage control mode.

Maddie broke the shocked silence. “Uncle Al, what are you talking about? Of course Dad is still the majority owner.”

“I’m surprised your boyfriend didn’t tell you, Maddie. Holter Enterprises has owned over fifty percent of our shares for some time now. Fifty-two percent, to be exact.”

Her shocked expression made Nick cringe. “It’s not what you think,” he said quickly.

“That’s impossible,” Maddie said. She faced her uncle, still standing straight, still in command. “You told me last month only forty-two percent went up for sale. Nick, set him straight. Tell him the truth.” Maddie turned to him, shaken. She’d gone stark white. “Please.”

That one syllable gutted him worse than a knife. It showed him she knew. She was still hoping against hope, but she’d figured it out.

He’d lied.

“Let me explain.”

“There’s not much explaining to do, boy.” Al tapped his meaty hands on the fine old table and addressed the family. “We put a few of your father’s shares up for sale a year or so ago and they were bought immediately by Viper Enterprises. I didn’t realize until this morning that Viper was you, Mr. Holter.”

“Viper Enterprises? What’s that?” Rosalyn asked.

Nick answered. “One of my investment firms. Look, it was no secret I was originally looking to acquire the company, but all that’s changed now.” He took a step toward Maddie, but she backed away.

“When were you going to tell me that Kingston Shoes is now
Holter
Shoes?” she asked.

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face. Pairs of eyes stabbed glares at him. There was no rule in his arsenal to fall back on. All he knew was he had to make her understand, make her see.

“I tried several times, but either you were so excited about your plans, or upset about your dad, and then this morning was crazy and I just…I couldn’t tell you.” He tried to approach her again.

She shook her head. “Please. Don’t.”

Excuses. He was making them to them and to himself. He hadn’t told her because he hadn’t
wanted
to tell her. The Kingston name was important and now it was technically owned by the enemy.

“Look, I thought about dumping the extra shares, but then I figured it would be protective if I held onto them. In case your plans faltered, you’d have an ally controlling the cards, someone to help you out behind the scenes if you weren’t able to resuscitate the company by yourself.”

Maddie’s eyes went wide. “So you were going to make it impossible for me to fail?”

“No—all right, yes. You know I came here with every intention of taking over, but everything’s different now.”

“Good Lord. He meant all along to dissolve us,” Grandmeel exclaimed, fueling the fire.

“He’s keeping the company intact, Gran. Let the man talk.” Derrick shut her down immediately, and for once Nick was grateful for his bluntness.

“It was clear to me early on that if I didn’t buy the stock someone else would. So I bought it. All of it. At first it was for me—I had your company in my hands to do with what I wanted. To bring justice to my grandfather. But that reason no longer exists.”

“No.” Maddie whirled toward her brother. “Grandmeel is right. Kingston Shoes is no longer owned by Kingstons. I sort of consider that dissolved.”

Maddie left the front of the room to stand before Nick. “I suppose I should thank you for saving everyone’s jobs. You even saved mine. What were you going to do, inject some cash secretly to make it look like I was succeeding?”

“Actually, Holter Enterprises just infused half a million dollars into the company as of yesterday,” Al said.

Maddie cast him a horrified look. How could his good intentions turn out so badly? “For God’s sakes, Maddie, I was trying to protect you.”

“I don’t want your protection,” she said. “I thought you believed in me when no one else did. I thought you
got
me. But Nick Holter’s always got to be in charge, in control. Except you lied to me, Nick, and lying isn’t right. Not with someone you trust. You’re exactly what they say—a shark.”

“It’s not like that. I don’t care about revenge anymore, and I don’t want your company. I—I’ve changed, Maddie, because of you. What else do you want from me?”

“How about the truth? You have the power and money to manipulate everything and everyone to your own satisfaction. But now you’re lying to yourself. You got exactly what you wanted—our company in your hands. You won.” She looked shocked, pale, defeated. “I want you to go. Now. Please leave us alone.” She turned to the window and folded her arms.

Her family just sat, saying nothing. Nick touched her arm, but she shrugged him away. “Please go,” she said.

Derrick’s chair scraped, and he headed in their direction. Nick was about to be bounced out.

“I’m sorry, Maddie,” Nick said to her back. Then he walked out the door.

…

“Maddie, are you saying Nick didn’t come here to help us?” her mother asked.

“He came because I bought him in an auction. An auction for rich people. I took Cat’s wedding money for it and now Robert’s gone. I’ve lost the company. Worse, I knew what Nick was planning all along and didn’t say anything. I thought I could handle it myself and convince him otherwise. I’m sorry.”

Silence hummed and crackled as everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Finally, Samuel cleared his throat. “I want you all to know that I have no interest in running anything. I’m delighted for the opportunity to work with Maddie and I sincerely hope that we still can.”

Derrick tapped his fingers on the shiny table. “But your grandson just bought our company out from beneath us. He’s in charge now.”

Maddie nodded. “He can do whatever he wants, run the company the way he pleases. He’s the majority owner.” She thought of her father. How could she tell him?

“I hate to say this, but this is what happens when you bed the enemy,” Grandmeel said. “They sneak up on you when you’re not looking and bam! Everything’s lost.”

“Amelia, that’s quite enough,” Maddie’s mother said.

Maddie whirled to face her grandmother. She bit back tears and bitter disappointment, promising to give into them later, in private. “Maybe I am a screw-up. Maybe Nick bought us up without my knowing. Maybe I lost the company for good. But you know what, Grandmeel? You are by far the worst excuse for a grandmother I have ever seen. You are mean and spiteful and—and just plain nasty and I am tired of pretending you’re not.”

Amelia’s jaw dropped. Cat, Jenna, and Maddie’s mother cast Maddie sympathetic looks, Samuel shifted in his seat, Al shook his head sadly, and Derrick—well, God only knew what he was thinking. But for the first time, Maddie didn’t care.

“Well, I never—” her grandmother exclaimed in typical drama queen fashion.

Maddie didn’t wait to hear the rest. She picked up her portfolio and left the room, ran down the stairs and out of the building. Right into the arms of a camera crew from local WKAP.

“Is there a change in ownership of Kingston Shoes?”

“Is your father too infirm to ever return?”

“Will people lose their jobs?”

Maddie put her hands up to shelter her face from the flashing bulbs. How the hell did a small town get so many cameras? “I—I’m sorry. No comment.” Maddie dodged the shouted questions buffeting her from all sides. Bob Russland from the Gazette was one of her classmates from high school. He approached her, thrusting a microphone in her face. So much for schoolmate loyalty.

She had a vague memory of the night of the auction, the last time she’d spoken in front of a crowd. She’d been flirtatious and witty, and clueless. Light years away. Biting her cheeks to hold back tears, she pushed her way to the sidewalk. She could barely breathe. Grief and shame filled her chest, and her legs felt numb and limp as jelly.

She wanted to take off down the street, crawl into her bed and hide.

A voice mocked inside her head.
Flighty Maddie. A screw up despite her best intentions.

She looked past the reporters. Folks had gathered because of the commotion, some on their way out of church and heading to Ida’s for pancake brunch. She recognized Patsy Yates from the Five and Dime and Reverend Fletcher himself, fresh from his sermon. Was he wondering why her entire family had skipped service today?