*
Busy or not, the brothers must be pretty close.
Kerri watched them get caught up, asking questions back and forth, seemingly genuinely interested in what was going on in each other’s lives. They didn’t speak much about what had happened at the meeting. Gavin seemed a bit cautious and didn’t show any inclination to discuss anything too sensitive in front of her.
But eventually he turned to her. “So. How did you two meet? It seems like some sort of serendipity that you happened to be available to help Ethan.”
“I’m in the States to see my best friend Natalie Damon—you might know her—”
Gavin nodded.
“—but she was delayed on her honeymoon, so I figured why not.” She shrugged. “It’s only for a little while, and I’m pretty much done.”
She sensed a slight tension creep into Ethan. Then their waitress came over with the food and Kerri dug in, preferring eating over any probe into Ethan’s emotional state at the moment. The sliced steak was exceptional—perfectly medium rare—and the house specialty dressing went very well with the tender, warm meat and cold, crispy vegetables.
“I don’t know if you’re really done already,” Ethan said after a few bites of his hamburger. He ate like he hadn’t had anything in weeks. “Since the company isn’t in the best shape at the moment, I may need a little more help.”
“Oh?”
“Until we have a new team in, anyway.”
Gavin popped the last of his fries into his mouth. “This is going to be a pain. Good executives are ha
rd to find.” He wiped his fingers on the napkin and pulled out a small tablet from his jacket. “Have you seen the photos of Mom and the boys from Meredith?”
“No. She hasn’t sent me anything,” Ethan said. “I should complain.”
“Work less and check your email.”
“You’re one to talk.” Ethan explained to Kerri, “Meredith is our sister.”
He took Gavin’s tablet and shuffled through the photos, smiling and nodding here and there. “Wow, this is a great one.” He tilted it toward Kerri. “Look.”
She glanced at a crisp picture of a smiling elderly woman with a pair of laughing boys on her lap in a lush garden. Pale freckles dotted the bridges of the boys’ noses, and the sight reminded her of a photo she’d discovered in her parents’ attic.
Just like that, a little pang pierced her chest like an acupuncture needle. Her grandmother could have had what was in the picture if it hadn’t been for her. Life could’ve turned out very differently for everyone in her family, and she wouldn’t have been sent to boarding school after fancy boarding school or treated like she was something that her family had to attend to out of duty, nothing more.
Kerri was trying to come up with a suitably cooing response when the waitress appeared to clear their table. That woman deserved a huge tip for her fantastic timing. She’d brought a dessert menu, but Kerri didn’t feel like eating anymore, and Ethan and Gavin both declined.
The sensation of carrying a giant bull’s-eye on her back intensified as they left the restaurant. She looked around the streets, but everyone was hurrying on errands during their lunch break.
If her family suspected she was in Houston, Justin would’ve warned her, right? He knew how much she wanted to avoid them.
But even as the three of them made the short walk to their waiting cars, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in the presence of somebody who didn’t wish her well.
Chapter Fourteen
ON THURSDAY, ETHAN WENT to the airport to meet Natalie. He hadn’t told Kerri because he wanted to talk to Natalie alone, and a leisurely drive was just the thing. Alex had gotten off the plane in New York City for a meeting he couldn’t avoid.
When Natalie saw Ethan, she smiled and gave him a tight hug. “Oh my god, Ethan. You only had to pick my friend up, not me.”
“And why shouldn’t I pick you up?”
“Because you’ve been chained to the office while Alex and I were frolicking in Europe?”
He laughed. “It wasn’t that bad. Besides, dealing with Rossi and his problems was hardly ‘frolicking in Europe.’ I know how he can be.” Alex’s chauffeur, also on hand to pick her up, took the suitcases while Ethan guided her to his Aston Martin.
“Well, at least I’ll be going home in style.” She grinned. “You look good.”