Family Man
a fire. It's cold in here.” Luke took Katy's coat and shrugged out of his black jacket. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar as he moved to the fireplace. “The brandy's in the kitchen,” he said as he went down on one knee and reached for kindling.
Katy decided that was a hint. “Check.”
She went into the kitchen and started opening cupboard doors until she found a bottle with an impressive French label. Gilchrists, even apparently nonindulgent Luke, showed good taste in this sort of thing. She poured the brandy into two glasses and carried them back out into the front room.
Luke already had a brisk fire going. When he turned toward her she saw the crisp, curling black hair in the opening of his shirt. Her hand trembled slightly when she set down the drinks.
“Thanks.” Luke uncoiled smoothly from the hearth and crossed the room to pick up one of the glasses.
“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” Katy forced herself to ask lightly as she sat down on the sofa. The full, flared skirts of her bright blue dress flowed over her legs.
“Hell, I don't care. Anything. Pick a subject.” He sank down beside her, sprawled back against the cushions, and stretched his legs out in front of him.
Katy was startled by the unexpected air of weariness about him. She frowned in concern. “Are you all right?”
“I'm fine.” He gazed into the flames. “I guess I'm just not accustomed to the happy warmth of family gatherings.”
Katy forgot about her nervousness in a rush of sympathy. This could not be easy for him, in spite of the cold, arrogant air he was affecting. “It's going to take a while for your family to get used to you, too. They don't seem to trust you for some reason.”
Luke's mouth curved faintly. “Nobody ever called Gilchrists stupid.”
“You didn't exactly go out of your way to reassure them about your intentions,” Katy reminded him gently.
“Why bother? My intentions aren't all that honorable in the first place. I really am going to take the Pacific Rim, you know.”
Katy sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa. “Maybe you'll change your mind.”
“Damn, but I love wide-eyed optimists. They say the cutest things.”
“Doesn't it get a little tough playing the Bastard all the time?”
“The part comes naturally to me.”
“I see.” Katy crossed her legs and then quickly uncrossed them. She tucked one foot behind the other and pressed her knees tightly together.
“Relax,” Luke ordered quietly. “I'm not going to jump you.”
“I didn't think you were.”
“Talk to me.”
“What about?” Katy could feel dampness under her arms. “Last quarter's earnings?”
“Tell me about your big plans for the future.” Luke closed his eyes and rested his head on the cushion. “What are you going to do when you finally escape my clutches?”
Katy hesitated. “I told you. Open Pesto Presto, my specialty take-out restaurant.”
Luke's lashes lifted slightly. “Why don't you just stay with Gilchrist, Inc. if you like the restaurant business? You'd probably make more money. You can lose a bundle in your own business.”
“To be perfectly blunt, I've been taking orders from Gilchrists for years, and I'm tired of it. I want to be my own boss.” Katy watched the flames leap on the hearth and thought about all her dreams. “I want to be free. I want to make my own decisions. I want to create my own future.”
“One way or another, you've been tied down for a long time, haven't you?”
“I love my brother more than anything else in this world. And Justine's offer of a job when I was nineteen was a godsend. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. But now Matt is ready to go off on his own. In a couple of months he'll be able to activate his trust fund. It'll see him through college. And Justine finally has you to look after her precious Gilchrist, Inc.”
“So you figure you're free to fly off into the wild blue yonder?”
“I'll be able to spread my wings and take a few risks, yes.” Katy smiled to herself and relaxed back against the sofa. Thinking about her future always made her feel better. She took a sip of brandy and savored the warmth. “I know just what I want in my little restaurant.”
“Tell me about it.”
She was surprised by his interest, but more than willing to sink into her favorite daydream. “It will be first class all the way. Good location with an upscale, adventurous clientele. Maybe Bellevue or Edmonds or downtown Seattle.
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