“How was school?” Kat asked as her little sister climbed into the front seat of her silver Subaru Forrester.

“Great,” Chrissie said with a grumble. “Last week before summer vacay, and my English teacher wants a six-page report on the life of Robert Louis Stevenson. He lived over a hundred and fifty years ago. Who cares what he wrote back then. It’s summer!”

“Robert Louis Stevenson was an amazing writer,” Kat smiled, pulling her SUV out of the school parking lot. “He wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped…”

“Big deal,” her sister interrupted, folding her arms across her chest pouting. “I only have three days, and our last game is tomorrow afternoon. Oh, yeah, I’ll be late getting off.”

“I know, the head cheerleader needs to be with her squad.”

“Well, I do, but everyone is going out after the game for pizza.”

“And who exactly is everyone?” Kat asked, pulling onto the street.

“The cheerleaders, the football team, maybe some of the teachers. I know Coach Horner is going to be there.”

“I suppose Logan Howe is going to be there?”

“Of course,” Chrissie said with a roll of her eyes. “We are going steady and he is the quarterback.”

“What time do you need to be picked up by then?” Kat said the strange jumping of her heart warned her that her parents would be furious if they knew she’d let her seventeen-year-old sister stay out late on a school night.

“Logan will bring me home. I’ll have pizza for supper, so you won’t have to worry about cooking anything, or picking anything up for me.”

“I want you home – alone – no later than seven o’clock. You have school the next day, and a report to do.”

“Oh, come on Kat,” Chrissie objected. “If I can do that stupid report tonight, and hand it in tomorrow, can I stay out until eleven? We all want to go to the beach after we eat.”

“Absolutely not,” Kat snapped, then glanced across the seat to her sister. “Nine o’clock. Not one minute later.”

“Ten?”

“Nine thirty, and that’s my last word on the subject.”

“Can I borrow the car?” Chrissie asked with a smile that assured her sister she had one the latest battle of the siblings.

“I have to be to work at six-thirty in the morning,” she warned Chrissie. “We have the case lot sale starting tomorrow, and I need to be there to make sure the store is ready.”

“That’s great. I’ll drop you off and pick up Logan and the girls for school.”

“No teenagers in the car with you, remember? You’ve only had your license for a year, and the insurance won’t cover anyone else in the car if you get in an accident.”

“I’ll be careful. Besides, it’s a stupid condition. The law says it’s okay if I drive with other teenagers, so why won’t the insurance?”

“Because it will cost me a fortune, and I cannot afford a high insurance bill on top of a car payment. Distracted driving causes more death…”

Kat didn’t finish her lecture as she glanced across to see the young girl turn away, an expression of disapproval on her face. Chrissie understood her sister’s reasonings and had never done anything to make her distrust her. She knew that her real reasons behind not wanting friends in the car with her, was more because of their parents than the excuse of the insurance, but she wasn’t willing to broach the subject neither of them wanted to discuss.

“I need you to drop me off at the store,” Kat continued a few minutes later. “I still have to finish the reports before Kennedy comes in tomorrow. I shouldn’t be more than about an hour. It will give you time to pick up some dinner. Your choice of places tonight.”

“Can I order Chinese?” Chrissie asked with a hopeful grin.

“Sure, why not. I got my bonus yesterday, so I have a little extra money.”

“Can we get cream cheese wontons?”

“A double helping if you’d like.”

“It’s a deal,” Chrissie told her, watching as they pulled into the parking lot.

Kat parked in front of the store and unbuckled her belt, watching her sister follow suit and climb out of her side of the car. Chrissie walked around to where her sister stood, watching Kat remove a credit card from her pocket.

“You know what I like,” Kat told Chrissie before she hugged her and watched her climb into the SUV. “Meet me back here in an hour.”

“Will do,” Chrissie answered, buckling her belt and smiling at her older sibling.

Kat watched the girl pull carefully away from the store and out of the parking lot before going back inside. She hurried up to her office and unlocked it, then went directly to her desk. The next hour would be a rush, but if she couldn’t finish the books tonight, she’d have at least a couple of hours in the morning to work on them.

Colton Kennedy was an arrogant, self-centered pig, but he was also very lazy. He always showed up after the store opened and rarely had anything nice to say to anyone, especially to Kat. He hated the idea that she was a young, attractive woman in a position of authority.

Kat wasn’t sure if it was because she was a woman, or if it was because she nearly broke his nose when he tried to seduce her when she was seventeen. Either way, she had to constantly be on her guard and make certain everything was perfect. She needed this job, and she wasn’t about to surrender it to an overstuffed braggart like the store’s general manager.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Gina asked, stepping into the office. “I thought you were supposed to be home playing surrogate mother to your sister.”

“I have to finish the expense report before Kennedy gets here tomorrow,” Kat answered, her mind far from being on the conversation her friend started.

“Okay, I’ll leave you alone to finish. By the way, the drug screening on Haden came back. He was quick, and he’s clean. Gorgeous, tall, muscular, and clean. What more could a woman ask for?”

Kat glanced up as the door closed and frowned. The image of Haden floated in front of her and for a moment all she could think of was the touch of his hand against hers. With a heavy sigh, she returned to her work, Gina’s words still echoing in her mind.

What more could a woman ask for?

Haden sat on his sofa, the folder of papers opened on his lap and a cold beer in his hand. He called his father as soon as he left the store and told him about the problem he was facing without proper ID. Ronald assured him to go to the clinic and get his screening done, and he would contact them. By the time he arrived, they had the paperwork filled out for him, under the name of Dalton.

Ronald stopped by two hours ago, takeout ribs and barbecued beans as a peace offering. He presented Haden with a false driver’s license but refused to admit where he had gotten it. He listened to Haden talk about his interview with interest. It seemed that the store’s manager had left an impression on his son, and not exactly a bad one. After he left, Haden was left alone to consider everything that had happened to him over the past few days.

Much to his frustrations, Ronald had shut off his cellphone, leaving only the small flip phone available for his use. It had unlimited texts, but only twenty-five hundred minutes. There was no way of downloading games to the small black box, so there was nothing for him to do besides answer the stupid thing. Haden hated the small device. He felt like he was going to break it.

He spent nearly an hour sending texts back and forth to Aaron until he finally had enough of trying to figure out how to message him, that he surrendered and tossed the phone aside. Now, he was trying to get through the stack of papers Kat gave him.

The company rules seemed harsh, but since he’d never really held down a job before, he had no clue if it was normal or not. The first page was a welcome letter from CD Enterprises, the second and third pages described the dress-code, personal hygiene, and appropriate attire. The fourth page was a tax form that he had no idea how to fill out, and the last page was an explanation of benefits. He frowned when he considered how much of his paycheck he was going to lose on health insurance, dental insurance, 401k, and stocks. He knew how to play the stock market, he’d done it since he was thirteen and his father told him he owned twenty-one percent of VSP stocks.

With his investments already in place, he didn’t think he would need to worry about anything Uptown Centers offered, so he ignored the explanation of how to sign up for them. But he had no clue if he should invest in a 401k, or if he even needed health insurance. It was something his father always handled for him.

The sound of a soft ringing echoed from a small box beside the front door and Haden frowned. He hadn’t noticed the speaker like device when his father showed him through the apartment.

He stood and walked to the box as it rang again. He looked at the buttons, talk, admit, and disconnect, and figured he was smart enough to know how to use it without calling the office for assistance. It wasn’t that different from the intercom system at the mansion. He pressed the talk button and drew a deep breath.

“Hello?” he asked with a frown.

“Hey, how do you get into this damn place?” the voice asked across the speaker.

Haden chuckled and pressed the admit button, listening to the buzzing on the other end, hoping he was allowing Aaron to walk into the building. He unlocked the front door, then returned to the sofa, picking up the papers he had been reading.

A loud knock echoed through the stillness and Haden glanced up as the door opened, a tall Hispanic man pushing his way through. In his arms was a case of beer with two boxes of pizza on top.

“Where do you want this?” he asked, kicking the door closed behind him.

“Set them on the table,” Haden told him, then stood up again and joined him in the dining room.

“Nice place,” Aaron told him, glancing around at his surroundings. “I mean, for a shoebox.”

“It’s not that bad,” Haden told him walking into the kitchen and opening the cupboard he had already found the dishes in. “It’s a hell of a sight better than I thought I’d get. After listening to Dad last night, I was sure he’d put me in a cheap motel in El Cajon.”

“Your texts were crazy, so I didn’t understand much of what you were telling me. He actually cut you off? No credit cards, no bank account, nothing?”

“That’s right,” Haden said, handing the man a china plate and opening the top box with an all meat, deep-pan crust pizza. “I have to work for myself for the next six months to a year and prove to him that I’m the man he always thought I could be.”

“That’s insane. Maybe you can take him to court and have him declared unstable.”

“My dad has more intelligence than any three men I’ve ever known. I have a feeling there’s more behind all of this, then just wanting me to learn manual labor.”

“Like what?” Aaron asked, taking two pieces of pizza and a beer before following his friend to the living room.

“I don’t know, but I know he’s got more up his tailored sleeve then he’s telling me.”

“So, since your texting is crap, explain all of this to me.”

The next forty-five minutes were spent with Haden relaying the information of his birthday present to him. He explained the job, the way he was going to earn money, and the new car. It seemed so foreign to him now, but it had been all too real last night.

“Well, at least you have wealthy friends,” Aaron said, wiping his mouth on the napkins he’d brought with him. “I’ll spot you whatever you need. It’s not like you haven’t done the same for me.”

“I can’t,” Haden said, shaking his head. “I have a list of conditions that prevents me from allowing my friends to help me. He’s even limited how many clothes I can buy, or how many dates I’m allowed to have. I have a feeling he’s got this place wired with hidden cameras, just to make certain I’m following the rules.”

“He really is crazy,” Aaron said with wide eyes. “How does he expect you to afford all of this?”

“He’s covered all the basis. He even got me a job at Uptown Centers in Encino.”

“As what?”

“A stocker.”

“You mean a boxboy?”

“The very same,” Haden said with an irritated grunt. “I met with my new manager today. She’s young, gorgeous, and a bitch of ice. I can’t wait for this next year to be over.”

“Just make her fire you,” Aaron suggested. “Your dad can’t hold you to this thing if you can’t hold down a job.”

“He’s considered that as well. If I get fired or quit, he contacts his lawyer and has a new will put into effect, disinheriting me completely.”

“Son-of-a-bitch,” Aaron said with wide eyes.

“No kidding.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to finish filling out my new hire package and then I’m going to the exercise room and see if I can find anyone worth having a bit of fun with.”

“Come out with me. I’ll help you burn off your frustrations with a few happy wenches and a few kegs of beer.”

“I can’t. I have to be to work by eight-thirty tomorrow morning, and my dad has limited how much I’m allowed to spend. I think I’ll just hit the hot tub in a little while and try to pretend all of this is over.”

“What if I bring the party back here?” Aaron asked, reaching for his beer. “Your old man can’t argue if you’re not privy to the information before it happens.”

“No thanks. You go ahead. I really think I’m just going to hang out here tonight. Maybe we can do something this weekend.”

“Oh my God,” Aaron grumbled. “You’re starting to sound positively domesticated.”

“I don’t have a choice. I might as well conform to my father’s wishes for the next few months, and pray I get this year over with.”

“I don’t want to lose my best friend over a few dumb conditions. What am I going to do every night without you? I can’t just sit around my mansion and watch my life slip away.”

“It’s only for a year, and you can still go out. Nobody’s stopping you.”

“Shit, it isn’t any fun without you.”

“You know, maybe you should start considering your own father’s will. He left you his real estate firm, but you will have to have someone to inherit it once you’re gone. Maybe you ought to start thinking about finding a decent woman and settling down.”

“Hell no. I’m nowhere close to being ready for a noose. I’ll just have to manage until you’ve finished your sentence, or your old man paroles you.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. He has his mindset, and once that happens, there’s no changing it.”

“Can I at least hang out here after you get off…ugh…work?”

Haden chuckled and nodded his head. At least he’d have company, even if he couldn’t afford companionship.

“Maybe I’ll check this place out with you. If there are any vacant apartments, I may just have to move in here until next year. What’s the place like, anyway?”

Haden smiled and stood up, wiping his mouth on the napkin. He walked to the patio and nodded his head, then leaned against the railing. They looked down at the pool, noticing several more people than there was this morning.

“Hey, nice,” Aaron said with a wide grin. “I’ll definitely have to think about getting a place here. Check out that scenery.”

Haden chuckled again, noticing the four women his friend was eyeing. They were all young, nicely built, and all wearing very small bikinis. As much as he tried to focus on the group who had turned and spotted the two men, waving for them to join in the fun, he couldn’t stop thinking about his father, or his new manager.

He knew his father had something completely obscene for his life, besides what he had already done, and the image of Kat didn’t seem to want to leave his mind. He considered the idea that Ronald bought the store just to make certain he would obey the rules he set down, but when he learned that another company owned it, he stopped considering it. Now, it was about all he could think of. He knew his father was heavily invested in real estate, thanks in part to Aaron’s own father, but he had never heard that he bought Uptown Centers.

Shaking the confusion from his head, he turned back to Aaron, realizing he had been speaking to him. He frowned as he looked back down, watching the women teasing his friend. They were massaging oil over each other’s bodies in a very sensuous manner, turning his friend into a panting bull.

“Let’s go swimming,” he suggested as Haden turned his attention off the four below them. “I am in the mood for an oily sandwich with a couple of very available women.”

“You go ahead,” Haden told him, turning and walking back into his living room. “This weekend really did me in. I think I’m going to take a hot shower and go to bed.”

“Come on,” Aaron grumbled. “There’s four of them. Just think of the fun we could have.”

“Sorry, pal, not tonight. But feel free to take advantage of their invitation. Just don’t bring them up here when you’ve decided which ones you want.”

“Damn, what’s happening to you?” Aaron asked, joining his friend in the living room. “You’re turning old right before my eyes.”

“Aaron, I have to obey my father if I ever hope to get out of this mess, otherwise I’ll be forced to live off of you for a few years.”

“Then call the old man and tell him where the bear shits and come back to my place. It’s huge and once you’ve gotten rid of that stupid car, we’ll go to Ireland the way we planned.”

Haden shook his head. He couldn’t help but feel like there was a lot more going on with his father’s ideas then he originally considered. Until he knew what Ronald Valentini was hiding, he wasn’t about to give up. Not now, and possibly never.

Kat sat alone in her mother’s favorite chair beside the silent fireplace, a glass of wine in one hand, a book she’d been trying to read the past month in the other. Chrissie had retired to her bedroom and with a little diligence and a lot of determination, finished her book report in three hours. She had taken a shower and climbed into bed shortly after nine o’clock, allowing Kat some much needed quiet.

She turned the page to her book, then realized she couldn’t remember what the previous page said. She was tired, frustrated with the thoughts of Kennedy coming to the store, and angry that she couldn’t seem to get Haden Dalton off her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she could still feel the tingle of his hand against hers.

With a resilient sigh, she closed her book and set it on the nearby table, then stood up. There was no use denying the fact the man had gotten under her skin. It had been three years since she last allowed herself to notice a man, but why did it have to be a new employee? She knew she couldn’t date him. She knew she would be putting her job on the line if she even tried. He was her employee, and she was his superior. It would be no different than when Kennedy tried to feel her up six years ago.

Taking her wine, Kat went into her bedroom and closed the door. The house was quiet, and the night was warm, adding to her frustrations. She pulled the covers back to her bed and sat down on the mattress. It was ten o’clock, and she knew she needed to get some sleep, but her mind was too active and going wild with images she kept pushing aside. She needed something to help her relax, but taking a sleeping pill would make her oversleep, and she could not afford to be late on a day her general manager was coming in.

Walking into her parents’ bathroom, Kat turned on the faucets to the jetted tub and sat down on the ledge that surrounded the large basin. As if she didn’t have enough on her mind, memories of that fateful day her parents left the house and never returned, invaded the chaos. She could hardly believe it had been almost three years.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Kat stood up and walked back into her bedroom, then quickly pulled off her clothes. She wrapped her robe around her slender body and took her wine, then went back into the bathroom in time to shut off the faucets. She sprinkled a handful of her mother’s scented bath beads into the water and turned on the jets.

Kat removed her robe and hung it on the hook beside the tiled shower, then lit three candles on the backside of the tub’s ledge. She stepped cautiously into the hot water, then leaned her head against the cushion on the back and closed her eyes. She had to find a way to shut off her mind. It seemed to be going in seven directions at once.

Taking a sip of her wine, she drew a deep breath and struggled to push the thoughts aside. Kennedy was one event she knew she could handle, even if he made everyone nervous when he arrived. She always felt like she had to watch his hands to make certain he wasn’t touching any of the young girls she had working there. It wasn’t until he grabbed her in the breakroom that she was able to bring the man’s habits out of the closet.

It was rumored that he would promise girls promotions, incentives, even bonuses in order to have a little fun. Once he tried it with her, she managed to punch him square in the nose and getaway. Within days, the man’s habits became public knowledge, but he managed to keep his job by pointing fingers at four center managers who were also involved.

The former owners put him on probation, forced him to undergo therapy, then re-established him back into the company. Once the Encino manager was fired, Kat was offered a settlement, enough to put herself in college despite her scholarship and her parents’ help. She worked part-time at the store while she went to school, making it a busy, crazy time in her life.

The year she graduated from college, she decided to dedicate her future to Uptown Centers. With a brand-new business degree, she was quickly promoted to assistant manager. Two weeks later, her parents were killed, leaving her guardian of her fourteen-year-old sister.

Fortunately, her parents had a decent insurance policy in place. Along with a settlement from the kid who hit them, she managed to pay off the house and start a college fund for Chrissie. It would never replace having her parents home with them, but it at least offered a spotlight for Chrissie’s future.

Taking another drink, she sunk beneath the water a bit further as images of tomorrow once again invaded her conscience. This time, it wasn’t Kennedy who flashed before her closed eyes, but Haden. There was something about the man’s mannerisms that made her realize how self-assured he was. He was very handsome with his large body and chocolate eyes, and he knew it.

She could imagine the time he spent in front of the mirror perfecting his smile, grooming that all-to-popular shadow of a beard, and polishing his white teeth. He looked like he spent hours in the gym every day, and the scent of his cologne was one that assured her, he’d spent years trying to find just the right one to make him smell rugged and masculine.

Thoughts of spending every day with this man-made her heart skip and her mind once again echoed a warning that he was her inferior. She couldn’t afford to get involved with him, despite the images that were playing out in her tired mind.

A strange beeping sound brought her eyes open and she listened for a moment, aware that the garbagemen were busy at work. Kat blinked twice, coming back to reality and realizing she’d fallen asleep. The scented water was cold, and the candles had burned themselves out. With a tired sigh, she shut off the jets and drained the water, then stood up and dried off.

The room was dark, with only the glow of the moon through the frosted glass to offer her aid in finding her robe. She snugged it around her waist, hung up the towel, and took her empty wine glass back into her dark bedroom. She set the glass on her dresser and walked to the bed. It was three-thirty, and she was exhausted. She pulled off her robe and climbed between the sheets completely naked. She didn’t care if she had pajamas on or not, she just wanted to sleep.

With a deep yawn, she turned over and faced the window, her eyes fluttering shut, as the peaceful surrender of slumber wrapped her in its warm embrace. As she drifted soundly to sleep, she could feel the tingle of her nerves caress her, feeling the strong embrace of a rugged, handsome man who once again asked her,

“How old are you.”