Family Man

knows what she's doing. She would never have invited him here if she thought there was any real danger he might deliberately crush the company. You know how much Gilchrist, Inc. means to her.”
    “We also know how badly she wants to mend fences,” Hayden said. “Her desire to do that may have blinded her to certain realities.”
    “I don't think that's the case,” Katy said firmly.
    “No offense, Katy, but your problem is that you always tend to look on the bright side,” Eden said. “You can be extremely naïve.”
    “You would know,” Katy murmured with a rare flash of irritation.
    Eden blinked, obviously surprised by the cut from the normally serene Katy. Then her gaze narrowed. “My God, you're not going to fling Nate Atwood in my face, are you? When are you going to figure out that I did you a favor by marrying him? Be grateful he didn't marry you instead.”
    “I am,” Katy said. But that didn't mean she had to forget her own humiliation. Katy knew Nate would have been all wrong for her, but that knowledge did not lessen the sense of having been used.
    “Forget it,” Darren said quietly. “We'll all find out soon enough what Luke has planned.” He smiled at Katy. “See you in Justine's suite at seven.”
    Katy nodded and hurried through the conservatory jungle toward the door. It was always a relief to be able to escape from a gaggle of Gilchrists.
    On the way back to the cottage she recalled Hayden's remark about Luke burning Gilchrist, Inc. at the stake. Perhaps she would wear her flame-retardant underwear tonight.

    The knock on the cottage door came just as Katy finished struggling with the zipper of her turquoise dress. She frowned at her image in the mirror, afraid she knew who the caller was.
    “I'll get it,” Matt called from the kitchen where he was studying at the table.
    “Thanks.”
    Katy held her breath as she brushed a swath of hair back behind one ear and anchored it with a gold clip. A moment later she heard a familiar deep voice in the living room.
    “Evening, Matt,” Luke said easily. “Tell your sister I stopped by to pick her up, will you? I decided I didn't feel like walking into that roomful of sharks alone.”
    “I don't blame you.” Matt chuckled. “Katy says a bunch of Gilchrists surrounding her always makes her kind of nervous.”
    “Yeah?”
    “But she calls them a coven of witches and warlocks, not a school of sharks.”
    “ Matt ,” Katy yelled from the bedroom, “shut up.”
    “The boss is here, Katy,” Matt called back. “He says he's going to be your date for the evening.”
    Katy groaned as she watched her cheeks turn pink in the mirror. Trust a teenager to treat what was essentially a business function as a date. She stepped into a pair of very high heels and walked reluctantly out into the front room.
    She was not surprised to find Luke looking dangerously elegant in a black dinner jacket, black trousers, and a snowy white shirt. His midnight hair gleamed in the light, and his green eyes held cool speculation. He gave her an approving glance.
    “Very nice.” Luke held her coat for her. “Don't forget your wings and halo. You may need them tonight to make a quick getaway from the coven.”
    “I've been handling Gilchrists for years. It doesn't take wings or a halo. It takes a whip and a chair.”
    “Suit yourself. Don't say you weren't warned.” Luke gave Matt a man-to-man look. “Don't worry about your sister. I'll bring her home when it's all over.”
    “Sure. Right.” Matt grinned at Katy. “Don't stay out past curfew. Remember you have work tomorrow.”
    Katy made a face. “Don't worry. I won't be staying any later than absolutely necessary. I only wish I had a ten o'clock curfew. It would be a great excuse to leave at a reasonable hour.”
    “Always nice to go out with a woman who's looking forward to the evening ahead,” Luke remarked dryly. “Come on, let's get this over with.” He took Katy's arm and guided her out the door.
    “You didn't have to pick me up,” Katy said as he opened the door of his black Jaguar for her. “I don't mind walking. It's perfectly safe around here.”
    “I wasn't worrying about your safety. It's my own I was thinking of. Like I told Matt, I'm the one who wanted an escort this evening.”
    She slanted him a curious glance as he got in behind the wheel. “I can't believe you're afraid of your own relatives.”
    “I'm not afraid of them. I'm just not looking forward to spending an evening