Family Man

moment and then glanced up with a quizzical smile. “The reason I'm surprised at all this interest in my relationship with Katy is that Gilchrists don't usually concern themselves with innocent victims.”
    Justine's eyes flashed with anger. “What a ridiculous thing to say. I have no idea what you're talking about, but I want to make it perfectly clear that you are not to ask Katy to marry you.”
    “You think I'd make her a lousy husband?”
    Justine closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again her gaze was steady. “Our family has done enough damage to hers. I do not want to see it happen yet again.”
    “You're referring to the famous incident thirty-seven years ago, I assume?” Luke tapped the file he was holding against his thigh.
    “We agreed we would not discuss it,” Justine said coldly. “But since you raise the issue, yes. We are talking about the fact that the last time a Gilchrist got involved with someone in Katy's family he left her at the altar. I will not allow it to happen twice.”
    Luke slanted her an assessing glance. “What makes you think I'll leave Katy at the altar?”
    Justine's gaze never wavered. “I am not a fool. Bringing you here to take over Gilchrist, Inc. was a calculated risk on my part. I was well aware that you might use the opportunity to take revenge on me and the family.”
    Luke suddenly understood. “You think I might set up a replay of what happened thirty-seven years ago just to humiliate you and the others?”
    Justine drew a deep breath and looked away. “I think there is a possibility you might see it as a fitting revenge.”
    Luke nodded thoughtfully. “A true Gilchrist revenge. To make it work I would have to sabotage the company first, of course. Then I could give you the coup de grace by setting up a scenario that would humiliate you in front of your friends and business associates just as you were humiliated thirty-seven years ago. Not bad. Think how they would all laugh at you, Justine. And those that weren't laughing would pity you.”
    “Stop it,” she snapped. “As I said, bringing you here was a calculated risk.”
    Luke got to his feet and began to prowl the room. “Has it ever occurred to you that if you had kept your end of the bargain with Quinnell thirty-seven years ago Katy and her brother would be Gilchrist heirs today?”
    Justine's gaze was stony now. “Yes.”
    “That was the real reason you gave Katy the job as your personal assistant after her parents died, wasn't it? Not because of what my father did to her mother, but because you felt guilty about what you had done. You knew Katy and Matt would not have been left penniless if you had gone through with the merger.”
    “There was nothing left of the Quinnell business after Katy's father died,” Justine said softly. “He had driven it into the ground. If the merger had taken place, that would never have happened. I could have run both the Quinnell restaurants and my own. Richard Quinnell's empire would not have gone under. Katy and her little brother would have been financially secure.”
    “Quinnell saved you years ago when you found yourself widowed with two small boys to raise, didn't he?”
    “Yes.”
    “You owed him.”
    “Yes. But I could not go through with that merger.” Justine's hand clenched once more. “I could not take the risk of giving away partial control of my company to outsiders. I do not regret what I did, and I have done what I could to make amends. Katy has never blamed me for anything that's happened.”
    “No, she wouldn't do that. All Katy wants is to be free of Gilchrists once and for all.” Luke stopped in front of the window. “I'm going to ask her to marry me, Justine.”
    “Damn you.”
    “Look on the bright side. Maybe she'll turn me down.”
    “And if she accepts?” Justine asked, her eyes hard.
    Luke smiled grimly. “If she accepts, you're going to have to sweat out my real intentions until the day of the wedding, aren't you, Justine? You won't know until the last minute whether I'm plotting revenge or if I've actually fallen in love with Katy.”
    Justine paled. “You aren't in love with her.”
    The certainty in her voice made Luke curious. “How can you be so sure of that?”
    “Because your father told me thirty-seven years ago that no Gilchrist could love a woman like Katy's mother. He said she was sweet but unexciting. There was no passion in her, he said. No drama. He needed a woman like Cleo. Katy is the image of