Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy) (4 page)

“Come on.” Tyler bounced back to Logan. “The dogs are outside.”

There were six large interconnected concrete runs set in pairs behind the shelter building and beyond them, two spacious fenced grass pa
ddocks. Three of the runs held dogs, as did both paddocks. Tyler led Logan past the runs to the farthest paddock. Reaching up, the boy unlatched the gate and they went in. A half-dozen dogs eager for attention surrounded them, but soon lost interest as Logan and Tyler wandered about. Near the fence facing the meadow beyond lay a golden retriever, his stillness in marked contrast to the activity of the rest of the pack. As they approached, the dog lifted his head to look at them, then turned away, putting his grizzled muzzle back down on his paws.

Logan could have sworn the dog looked disappointed. He gave Tyler a nudge. “Is something wrong with that one?”

‘No, that’s just Spud. He’s only been here a few days. The man who owned him died.” The boy looked at the retriever and shook his head, but turned back to Logan with a grin, and giggled. “Mom said the lady who brought him in told her he was named Spud because he was a couch potato. She said spud means potato. Did you know that?”

Logan nodded. “Yes, I have heard people say so.”

“My mom thinks he’s old and tired, but I think he just misses his master.” Tyler moved to pet the dog. “Don’t worry, Spud. You’ll feel better soon—you’ll see.”

“Just lonely, huh? I can relate to that.” Logan squatted down to pet the dog himself. “How are you, Spud?” Trusting golden eyes stared up into his as the heavy tail wagged. “Tyler, do you think Spud might like to live with me?”

Tyler considered. “He might…and if he doesn’t you can bring him back—some people do that.”

“No. If he comes home with me, he’ll be coming home for good. Why don’t you put that leash on him and we’ll go talk to your mom.”

As he watched the boy snap the leash onto Spud’s collar, a movement on his left caught Logan’s eye and quickly arrested his full attention—a voluptuous female form was silhouetted against the late afternoon sky. He saw the brim of a baseball cap balanced by the tail of hair pulled through the back. With legs braced apart, the woman wielded a high-pressure hose to clean the concrete run. He could feel the kick of adrenaline in his system, just enough to deepen his breathing. His senses were humming now.
Damn, she looks good
. It had been longer than forever since he’d been with a woman.

He definitely wanted to meet that body. Logan steered Tyler toward the empty run. He’d heard women were more open to a man with a child. If that meant any child, walking over with Tyler might give him a better shot at the woman in charge of those magnificent breasts. Closer now, he could see the faded blue of her T-shirt and that her jeans were worn thin from wear in places that made his palms itch and his mouth go dry.
Maybe she works here.
Coming up to the run with the boy, he spoke in a friendly tone, pitching his voice to carry over the spray of the hose. “Looks like a dirty job.” Hearing him, the woman turned—and he found himself face to face with Diana Lennox.

Holy shit. What happened to her?
There was no elegant CEO today. His mouth hung open as he stared. She looked like someone who might welcome being backed up against a fence and kissed by a man who knew what he was doing. Little tendrils of hair damp with spray and sweat were stuck to her face. Her T-shirt was damp and grubby-looking, and it looked like—he was almost sure—she might not be wearing a bra.

Her face flushed. “What are you doing here?”

“Aah, I came to get a dog.” Logan finally pulled his mouth shut, trying to readjust his thoughts. “I’m hoping they’ll let me adopt Spud here.” Logan glanced at the patient dog. “Tyler, uh, Tyler says he’s a couch potato, and I have a couch, so I thought we’d make a good pair.” He tried for a neutral smile.
Smooth, Carmichael. Could you sound any dumber?

Diana studied the toes of her soggy athletic shoes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude—you startled me.” She looked away, twisting the nozzle of the hose in her hands. Just as he was about to speak, she jumped in again. “I’m done here now. I have to put these things away.” She ge
stured vaguely toward the trash bag and scoop by the gate. Turning her back on him, Diana disconnected the hose and bundled it up into a tangled mass.

“Let me help you,” Logan heard himself saying. He grabbed the scooper and trash bag, leaving Tyler and Spud behind as he hurried t
oward the shelter after her.

“No thanks, I can manage.” Without raising her gaze she turned, snatched the bag and implement from his hands, and disappeared through the back door of the shelter—hose, scooper, trash bag and all.

Logan stared after her in amazement. He was certain she’d been embarrassed, and she’d almost seemed shy. What on earth was Diana Lennox doing here? What had become of the cool stand-offish CEO he’d had dinner with last night? And where had she been hiding that body?

He wanted to be the man backing her up against a fence and kissing her. He
really
wanted to be the man backing her up against a fence and kissing her. His body was screaming at him to go get her.
Settle down, man, there’s a kid here.
He drew a deep frustrated breath and let it out. Not in a million years would he have guessed Diana Lennox could look like that. Monday was going to be interesting. It wouldn’t be easy keeping his hands off the woman he’d seen today.

“Hey, my mom’s office is this way.” Tyler’s voice brought Logan back as the boy stepped past him, moving into the lead. They walked into the building and down the hallway.

Logan wondered where Diana had gone. He was tempted to follow the damp footprints on the floor, but Tyler led him only a short way down the hall then stopped to push open the door of a tiny room holding a few old-fashioned wooden chairs, two battered filing cabinets and an oak desk that had seen better days. The wall behind the desk was covered with drawings of dogs—some surely from the hand of his young host.

“You sit down here and hold Spud.”

Logan eased onto one of the chairs, accepting the leash pressed into his hand.

“I’ll get my mom.” Tyler poked his head out the doorway and ho
llered toward the reception area. “Hey, Mom, he wants to adopt Spud!”

chapter four

Diana woke early and pulled the covers over her head, groaning. “No. Please, no.”

Monday. Today, she had to meet with Carmichael. She would rather have a black hole open in the cosmos and swallow her, the bed,
her whole life!
I made a first-class idiot of myself Saturday. What am I going to do?

Twenty minutes later, when the alarm went off, she grudgingly rose and shuffled toward the bathroom to shower and dress. She stared at her sleep-wrinkled face in the mirror.
Charming. Forget about Carmichael, girl. He won’t look twice at you now.
She sighed. He’d seen the real Diana—the inadequate Diana. The one who was never good enough.

Her parents had tried. They’d worked like a tag team to change her into the daughter they felt they deserved. Her mother had taught her to be refined, to cover up those flaws… the awkward h
eight, the over-endowed figure, her exuberant personality… unsuitable in a Lennox. Then those bits of Diana that remained had been trained and polished by her father until he had created Diana Lennox, super CEO.

I’m a fraud, but what else can I do?
When she met with Logan today, she’d put on her super CEO mask once again. There seemed to be no other choice.

Moving to the walk-in closet, she surveyed her array of expensive power suits—designer-label corporate armor. Choosing a steel gray e
nsemble, she began to dress. Most mornings, putting on business clothing settled any anxieties she might have about the day. Position and power were amazing contributors to confidence. Today, it wasn’t working. This afternoon, when she faced Carmichael, they would both know she wasn’t the sophisticated woman she appeared to be. How would he react to her then? Diana’s stomach twisted into a knot. A few deep breaths did little to calm her, but there was no way around it; she had to go. Squaring her shoulders, she picked up her briefcase and left the condo.

Diana would have welcomed a delay, so naturally the traffic-gods saw to it that she arrived at the office early. She worked steadily until lunch, then filled in the time by
pacing back and forth from her desk to the window. Logan would be here any minute. Her notes were prepared and her arguments were ready. She would
not
allow him to disrespect her. They would pretend Saturday never happened.

The intercom buzzed. Diana wiped her palms on her skirt and moved to her desk.

“Yes, Mildred?” She sat gracefully down.

“Dr. Carmichael to see you, Ms. Lennox.”

“Thank you.” Daddy’s training held. Her voice held no hint of nervousness. “Send him in.”

Logan paused for a moment, as the brass knob of Diana’s door pulled the warmth from his hand. He held his hormones on a tight leash. No room for mistakes today. Diana would need to be convinced he could swing the financial end of the deal. He was pretty sure he had her on the rest. Opening the door, he swept his eyes over the woman behind the desk, trying to judge her mood. She looked unapproachable, all business, but he knew different. How could she transform like that? The simple gray suit effectively hid the curves he’d seen, and the woman in it looked
too remote to touch. Unbidden, the knowledge of what was under her jacket and the memory of how she’d filled out those jeans set his blood simmering.
Dual objectives. Nothing wrong with dual objectives.
He knew he was thinking about playing with fire, but somehow he couldn’t care.
Well, Ms. Lennox, business first. But not only business, if I have anything to say about it.

“Good morning, Logan” Diana began speaking immediately, her voice tight and cold. “I’ve put together some numbers to give you an idea of the financial obligation you would be taking on if you purchase a company like Lennox.” She offered him a copy of the papers on her desk.

As he reached for them, their fingers brushed—he felt the heat of it even as her hand jerked back. Apparently she wasn’t as indifferent to him as she sounded.

Moving to the same leather chair as last time, he sat down to look over the figures. The size of the debt he’d be incurring made his breath catch in his throat. If things didn’t go as planned he’d be broke, and pa
ying back a loan this size would bankrupt him for the rest of his life. He’d have to find an investor willing to share the risk—to take a loss if the new process failed. He needed an angel. That would cost him a bunch on the profit side he knew. But there was no choice. He sat straighter in his chair and looked at Diana.

“It may take me some time to find the right investor for this, but my offer to buy the company stands. Are you willing to wait on the offer from Carbon Unlimited?”

She gave him a chilly smile. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that. They want an answer by Friday or the deal will be withdrawn.”

Logan’s jaw clenched. She had dragged him in here just to smash his dream. Anger rose like a red haze in front of his eyes, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing him react to her nasty little game. He gripped the arms of the chair and concentrated on staying seated.

“But I may have a solution to your financial problem.”

She was toying with him—he knew it. He refused to look relieved, hardening his face into an emotionless mask. But he couldn’t stop hi
mself from tilting his head in inquiry.

             
“I am willing to back your purchase myself, out of my personal resources, as an angel capital investor. These are the terms I’m comfortable with.” She offered him a second set of sheets.

It’
s a trap. Well, spring it and be damned.
He stood and took the sheets from her hand. The short, unvarnished nails raised a bubble of doubt about her status as a man-eater, but he popped it. She wanted him under her thumb. Heaven alone knew why, but it wasn‘t out of the goodness of her heart, that much was certain.

He sat to peruse the terms she offered, wincing inwardly at the inte
rest rate she expected. It was painful, but he had to admit it was fair given the gamble she took. The tension in his body began to ease. He was surprised to see all of the details looked agreeable, except…

“Fifty-one percent.” Logan shot to his feet. “You want to retain fifty-one percent interest in the company until the loan’s paid off? And keep executive power as well? Didn’t I make it clear I intend to purchase this company? I prefer to be the one running things.”

“You made it clear.” The lush lips compressed as she lifted her chin. “But those are my terms. I will not leave my employees’ livelihood in the hands of an engineer with no business background. It would be irresponsible to do so.”

“Absolutely unworkable.” He spun toward the windows, pacing, hands fisting as he shook his head “I have to run to you to explain and get approval of every change I propose to make? It’ll slow me down too much. It’ll make the payment deadlines impossible to meet.” He whirled back to face her. “Is that your intent?”

“No, that is not my intent.” A red stain crept up her cheeks. “You are going to have your hands full with the conversion. There will be time enough to learn the ropes of managing the business afterwards. I don’t intend to slow you down or to undermine your authority. I intend to make this transition successful.” Her eyebrows arched. “But, perhaps you have some managerial experience that I am not aware of?”

Logan seethed with frustration. “No, I don’t, but how hard can it be? I know exactly what needs to be done to improve the manufacturing process.”

She remained seated and watched him with steady brown eyes. “Entrepreneurial Myth.”

“What?”

“The notion that expert knowledge of a process or product is sufficient to successfully run a business—E-Myth for short. Google it. There are probably hundreds of books and articles on the subject.” Leaning forward, she enunciated clearly, tapping the desktop for emphasis. “I am going to continue running the company while you make your conversion. Then we’ll see about gradually switching the reins into your hands.”

Damn the woman. She knew she held all the cards. Logan resumed his pacing. This was his baby, not hers. So what if she had more exper
ience and expertise? He was a fast learner, and he didn’t delegate his responsibilities to anyone else. Shoving his fingers through his thick hair, he turned back toward her. “OK. You say you’re concerned about your people. How about this? You retain the fifty-one percent and we meet weekly to review how things are progressing. You can oversee my management without being onsite all day, every day, can’t you? After all, our styles are likely to be very different and I’m not foolish enough to think you’ll be an easy act to follow. It will only make it harder for me to succeed if you’re here all the time.”

He felt her eyes on him as he returned to his chair.

She studied him a moment. “That might be acceptable, as long as things go well. But if any major problems arise, I will step back in…regardless of how you feel about it.”

Yeah, that’s what you think.
“That’s a non-issue as far as I’m concerned. There won’t be any problems large enough to warrant your interference.”

“So you say. Are we in agreement then?”

“Yes, I suppose we are.”
Pain in the ass.

“Good. I’ll note the changes, you can take a look, and we’ll be fi
nished.” She picked up her pen and began making notes on her copy of the terms, while her fingertips toyed with the collar of her blue silk shirt.

Logan leaned back in his chair, watching her. The woman was tough. He’d expected that, but was surprised to find himself, grudgingly, admi
ring it as well. She’d have her fifty-one percent, but he was going to push the conversions, pay off the damn loan and get her out of his hair as quickly as possible. Well, out of his company at least.

The thing that bothered him—besides her chocolate brown eyes and distractingly kissable mouth—was that she’d proposed to back his use of the company and equipment for the next two years out of her personal assets. It felt too generous. It brought a personal element into their bus
iness deal, and could give her more power in their relationship than he liked. Logan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers, scratching his chin with his thumb. It made him uncomfortable. The deal was a gamble on both sides. She knew it, yet she hadn’t struck him as a gambler.

What was on her agenda? Logan had learned long ago that women, especially career women, couldn’t be trusted. Of course, she was taking considerably less risk than he was. He would be living off his savings for the interim, funneling the CEO salary back into the changes he needed to make. The quicker he could get production of the new rods moving, the more stable his financial position would be, and the greater his chances for success. And if things didn’t go as planned, he’d pay back her loan anyway—whatever the cost. He had no intention of owing any woman anything. Ever.

She didn’t know that, and never would if all went as planned. He alone knew a failure with Lennox Incorporated could destroy his dream of business ownership for good. And because success was so important, he needed to know why she was being so cooperative.

He took inventory of what he could see—raven-dark hair, delicate skin, full lips and surprisingly capable-looking hands. He pictured her again as she’d looked silhouetted against the sunset and desire stirred in his gut. He compared the woman in his mind with the one sitting in front of him now, intent on the notes she was writing. The instincts that had served him so well in the Army kicked in.

She had two sides to her. The classy gender-neutral CEO, and that made-for-sex body he’d seen. He’d been with her kind of female before—classy and untouchable looking, but all heat and fire underneath. They used both sides to get what they wanted. A man just had to know going in that any tender emotions they exhibited were only for show. It was all a game to them. Hell, he’d enjoy going a few rounds with Ms. Diana Lennox. And this time he was no unsuspecting kid. No, this time,
he’d
be the one to call the shots.
I’ll see her out of my company and into my bed—dangerous or not.

Diana stopped writing and gathered the papers. She stood, and o
ffered him the sheet she’d been writing on. “Have I captured the modification accurately?”

He stood and scanned the page. “Yes.”

“Fine, then. I’ll have Mildred type up these notes and in a few days my attorneys should have the contracts ready for us to sign.”

He stepped aside to allow her to precede him to the door and caught the drift of her scent as she passed. She smelled deceptively sweet and innocent, but he knew better. Quickly, he reached out and touched her shoulder. “Diana.”

She paused and turned, tilting her head a bit to meet his eyes.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

Her eyes widened, then a small furrow formed between her brows.

“I’ve heard the food at the Homestead Inn is extraordinary.” He knew she wasn’t unaffected by him. He stepped inside her personal space, u
sing the nearness of his body to make it clear the invitation was more than just business. “Won’t you join me to celebrate our agreement?”

She looked confused for a moment, then, shifting her gaze to the l
apel of his suit, she bobbed her head. “Yes, all right, I can do that. She took a quick step back, and he thought she was going to change her mind. “I have quite a few items I’d planned to complete today… She hesitated.