Luke stood over him for a moment. Then he went across the room to pick up the gun. He took out the clip and saw that it was empty. Whatever else he was, Atwood was no killer.
Just a man trying to avenge a road kill.
Luke glanced at the clock on the mantel. He had a little time left. He went over to Atwood and hauled him to his feet. Atwood was dazed but not seriously hurt. Luke dropped him into a chair.
“Katy is always after me to deal with confrontations in a sensitive, nonviolent manner,” Luke said. “I’m a slow learner, but I do try.”
“Shit. What is this all about? Why don’t you call the cops and get it over with?” Atwood leaned his head back in the chair and closed his eyes with an expression of final weariness.
“I haven’t got time to call the cops,” Luke said. “I’ve got to get to a wedding.”
Atwood opened his eyes. “So?”
“So I’ve got maybe fifteen minutes before I run out of time altogether. Instead of you and me slugging this out like the tough, macho, hard-assed dudes we both know we are, why don’t we just do what we do best?”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s make a deal,” Luke said.
The bride’s anteroom was filled with Gilchrists sunk in doom and gloom. With Liz’s help, Katy was trying to put on the lacy little garter she was supposed to throw later, but it was difficult. There was very little space left in the room.
Hayden, looking like a depressed vampire, was taking up most of the area in front of the mirror. Maureen was sitting on the stool, twisting a black hankie in her hands in silent despair. Eden was moving restlessly back and forth across the tiny room. Darren was propping up a wall with his shoulder. He looked grim. The only one who was not present was Justine. She was in the family pew at the front of the church.
“Who’s going to tell Justine?” Hayden asked in his darkest funereal tones.
“God, this is just like last time,” Maureen whispered, her gaze anguished. “I can’t believe Luke is doing this. You know, I had actually come to trust him. I bought the whole story. He had convinced me he meant to be part of this family. That he cared about us.”
Eden shot Katy a sidelong glance. “I can’t believe he’d do this to Katy.”
“I’ll kill him,” Darren muttered for about the twentieth time. “He won’t get away with this. Maybe he thinks he has a right to humiliate Justine, but he has no right to hurt Katy.”
“He hasn’t done anything yet. He’s just a little late, that’s all.” Katy snapped the garter into place and lowered the voluminous skirts of her white gown. She straightened and faced the room full of black-clad Gilchrists. “The whole bunch of you look as if you’re about to attend a funeral instead of a wedding.”
Hayden gave her a pitying look. “He’s not going to show, Katy.”
“He’ll show,” she said softly. “And if he doesn’t, he’ll have a very good reason. One that doesn’t involve his secretary.” The thought of what that excuse might be was what was disturbing Katy. For an instant she had visions of Luke lying injured somewhere on the interstate. With a sick feeling in her stomach she wondered if she should start calling hospital emergency rooms.
Katy met Liz’s eyes in the mirror. For once Liz was not enjoying the latest Gilchrist antics. Her thoughts were obviously running along the same lines as Katy’s. “Shall I get the phone book?”
Katy hesitated. “No,” she said quietly. “I’d know if something dreadful had happened to him. I’d feel it. He’s all right. He’s just late.”
“Something dreadful has happened,” Hayden muttered. “We’re all financially doomed, and Lord only knows how Justine will take this.”
“Has anyone told Matt yet?” Maureen asked. “That poor boy is going to be so hurt by this. He trusted Luke, too.”
Darren ran a hand through his tousled hair. “I told Matt to wait out in front of the church. He’s supposed to be watching for Luke.”
“Oh, God, this is terrible. I just hope the shock doesn’t make Justine collapse,” Maureen said. “What are we going to tell her?”
Katy adjusted her veil one last time. “I’ll handle Justine.”
Hayden straightened his shoulders. “You’ve been handling her for the past nine years, Katy. You don’t have to handle this. I’ll do whatever needs to be done this time.”
Katy smiled gently. “That’s very kind of you, Hayden. But I’m afraid that if something has gone wrong, it’s a whole lot more serious than Luke deciding to abandon me at the altar.”
Eden scowled. “What are you saying? What could be more serious?”
“I’m saying that if Luke isn’t here, it’s because something terrible has happened to him. Nothing short of disaster would keep him away today. But frankly, I think he’s just fine. He’ll be here any minute. You’ll see.” She lowered the veil in front of her eyes.
A knock sounded on the anteroom door. “Hey, Katy,” Matt called out. “It’s time. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.” Katy plowed a way through the tangle of Gilchrists cluttering up her dressing room. She opened the door and found Matt on the other side. He was fussing anxiously with his bow tie.
“How do I look?” he asked. Then his eyes widened at the sight of his sister in her gown and veil. “Geez. Katy, you look like a princess or something.”
“Thank you, Matt. You look pretty terrific, yourself.”
Matt grinned. “Wait until you see Luke. He said there wasn’t time to change.”
There was a concerted gasp of astonishment from the crowd behind Katy.
“Luke is here?” Hayden demanded.
“Sure.” Matt glanced at the rest of the Gilchrists. “Why aren’t you guys where you’re supposed to be? Darren, you’re best man. You’d better hurry. The music is starting.”
The Gilchrists looked at one another. And then an all-too-rare gleam of relief and happiness appeared in their emerald eyes.
Maureen led the way out the door, pausing to give Katy a brief, surprisingly affectionate little hug. Her eyes glittered with emotion. “You look lovely, Katy. Just lovely.”
The others followed, each one stopping briefly to give Katy a quick embrace. When they were gone Matt held out his arm.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready.” Katy glanced at Liz. “Ready?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ve always wanted to be a bridesmaid.” Liz picked up her bouquet.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Matt said, his eyes full of laughter. “The photographer is having a fit.”
“Gilchrists never do anything quietly or routinely,” Katy said in cheerful resignation. “How bad is it?”
“Not bad. Just funny. You should have seen the look on Justine’s face when she saw Luke. Boy, is she pissed. But I think she’s also real happy.”
“Let’s get this over with.” Katy took her brother’s arm and started down the aisle.
Luke was waiting at the front of the crowded church, right where he was supposed to be. Katy blinked in astonishment at the sight of him. And then she nearly dissolved in laughter.
Luke was as disheveled as it was possible for any Gilchrist to appear. He had obviously used his fingers rather than a comb to rake his ebony hair into some semblance of order. Instead of his formal clothes he was wearing a pair of black jeans, a black pullover sweater, and low black boots that had not even been polished for the occasion. His sorcerer’s eyes gleamed with green fire at the sight of Katy coming down the aisle.
Luke did not wait alone at the altar. Zeke, dish clamped between his jaws, sat proudly beside him. The dog’s tail thumped happily when he saw Matt and Katy.
Most of the audience was grinning. The minister looked resolute. Justine was clearly annoyed, but her eyes, when they met Katy’s, glowed with a deep joy.
The remainde
r of the Gilchrists were clearly too relieved that the whole thing was going to go off to express any displeasure over Luke’s appearance or the presence of his dog.
Luke smiled as he took Katy’s hand firmly in his own. “Sorry I’m a little late,” he whispered. “I was unavoidably delayed by some unfinished business.”
Justine finally cornered Luke an hour later, just as he was about to lead Katy out onto the dance floor.
“I assume you have an excuse for showing up for your own wedding in a pair of jeans?” she said imperiously.
“Yes, ma’am.” Luke’s fingers tightened around Katy’s.
“Well, then...” Justine lifted her chin. “What is it?”
“I don’t know if you, really want to hear it now,” Luke said.
“I am not budging until I get the full story out of you.”
Luke shrugged. “I had some business I had to finish up. I sold the Pacific Rim to Nate Atwood for one dollar.”
“You what?” Justine stared at him in stunned disbelief.
“Don’t worry. I bought it back again.”
“For a dollar?”
“Not quite.” He looked at Katy, aware of a deep sense of tender possessiveness. She was his at last. He could hardly wait to take her into his arms. “We settled on a price that was close to fair market value.”
“Good heavens.” Justine looked dazed. “I don’t believe this. That would be in the neighborhood of several hundred thousand dollars. Why on earth would you do a thing like that?”
“Let’s just say I was cleaning up after an old Gilchrist road kill.”
Comprehension dawned in Justine’s eyes. “You did this because of what happened fifteen years ago when I bought that property? Because we kicked Atwood’s father out of the old building?”
“You’ve got it, Justine. From now on we don’t do business that way. The Gilchrist guardian angel does not approve.” Luke saw the love and laughter in Katy’s eyes. He was the most fortunate of men, he thought. Life and the future had never looked more promising than they did at this moment.
“I don’t believe this,” Justine fumed. “It’s insane. What an idiotic way to do business. You’ll run Gilchrist, Inc. into bankruptcy with that approach.”
“Not likely.” Luke grinned at her. “I’ve got your talent for business, remember? Making money is the easy part. The last thing Gilchrist, Inc. is going to do is go broke. Don’t worry, Justine. The next generation of Gilchrists won’t have to learn how to cook either.”
Justine eyed him closely. “You’ll be staying on at the helm, then,” she said with satisfaction.
“Looks like it.” Luke smiled at her.
Justine seemed startled by his smile. Then she, too, smiled. Tears glittered in her eyes for an instant, and then she started to laugh. The sound was so rare that everyone in the room turned around to look.
Katy looked up at Luke, her face radiant with love. “Welcome to the family, Luke.”
Luke grinned. “Welcome to the family, angel.”
He swung her into the first waltz and the brilliant, love-filled future that awaited them.
Perfect Partners
Perfect Partners
Jayne Ann Krentz
Available here: http://www.jayneannkrentz.com/ebooks.html
A Jayne Ann Krentz Classic Joel Blackstone spent ten years as a CEO building Thornquist Gear from a tiny local shop into a major player in the camping and sporting goods marketplace. Joel's reward for his hard work was old man Thornquist's promise to sell the shop to him within a year. Unfortunately for Joel, Thornquist dropped dead and bequeathed his empire to a grand-niece in the midwest. A minor adjustment to Joel's plan--he would just offer to buy the company from the heir. Leticia Thornquist was deeply saddened by her great-uncle's death. She saw his bequest of Thornquist Gear as an opportunity to change her life. On the flight to his funeral, she decided to give up her job as a university librarian, move to Seattle, and take over the company. Only one thing stands in her way--Joel Blackstone. Will Joel and Letty face off in a battle for control of Thornquist Gear or will they find they are perfect partners?
About the Author
Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 50 New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 35 million copies of her books in print. Building on the success of her Arcane Society Series, Jayne is kicking off three new paranormal series in 2012. The Dark Legacy books are set in present day Washington state and delve into the paranormal crystal mining world and the Coppersmith Family. The first book, COPPER BEACH is available now. The Ladies of Lantern Street novels are set in Victorian England and follow the adventures of the Flint and Marsh Agency employees. These ladies are not your average paid companions. The first book, CRYSTAL GARDENS is available now. The Rainshadow novels started, unofficially, with the release of CANYONS OF NIGHT. These stories are set on a small island on the planet Harmony in the not so distant future. The second novel in this series, THE LOST NIGHT, is available now.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Featured Title
About the Author
Jayne Ann Krentz, Family Man
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