Family Man

that. What does it take to deflect you from your flight path?”
    “You can't deflect me. I need you.”
    He arched a brow. “Is that a fact?”
    Katy saw the gleam in his eyes, and she felt herself grow hot with embarrassment. What an idiotic slip of the tongue that had been. Being a Gilchrist, he had of course interpreted her words in the worst possible way.
    “We all need you. Don't you understand?” Katy thought of the problems awaiting her back in Dragon Bay. She could not give up yet. “It's true we've got Fraser, thank God. I don't know what we'd do without him. But Fraser can't handle this thing alone. Justine won't give him the clout or the authority to run the company on his own.”
    “Who's Fraser?”
    “What?” Katy scowled at him, distracted by the question. “Oh, Fraser. Fraser Stanfield. He's your grandmother's chief operations manager. He's been handling things at corporate headquarters for her ever since Justine began to withdraw from an active management role. Fraser has been terrific, but the bottom line, so far as your grandmother is concerned, is that he's not a Gilchrist.”
    “Is he as loyal as you are?”
    “Well, very nearly. As I said, he's been wonderful. I try to help, but I'm Justine's personal assistant, not her executive assistant. I'm coordinating things as best I can for her, but I'm not a Gilchrist either. Only a Gilchrist can run the company as far as Justine's concerned. You've got to come home, Luke. That's all there is to it. It's your duty.”
    “I want no part of Gilchrist, Inc., and that's final. If you can't get that through your head, you're even more thick-skulled than you accused me of being,” Luke said.
    Katy stared at him in angry despair. He meant it, she realized. There was no way to reach him. He had made up his mind, and that was that.
    He had a lot in common with his grandmother.
    She halted directly in front of him and stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “You know something, Luke Gilchrist? You should be ashamed of yourself.”
    “Spare me.”
    “No, I will not spare you. You deserve this, and you're going to get it.” A growl from Zeke stopped her for a second. Katy glared at the dog and then switched her gaze back to Luke. “I don't care if you sic that monster on me. I'm going to have my say.”
    “Don't worry. I don't think Zeke is any match for you.”
    “Are you finding this amusing?” Katy demanded.
    “Not particularly. But it's interesting. You have certainly livened up what might otherwise have been a rather dull afternoon.”
    “I'll just bet it would have been a dull afternoon,” Katy shot back. “I'll bet all your afternoons are dull. Your mornings, too. I won't even get into the subject of your evenings.”
    “Just as well. They're not much more interesting than the mornings and the afternoons,” Luke admitted dryly.
    “You think this is one big joke, don't you? Well, I've got news for you, Luke Gilchrist, it's not a joke. A lot is at stake here. You have the chance to salvage everything your grandmother has spent her life building. Future generations of Gilchrists are depending upon you. You alone are in a position to keep a fine company in operation and thereby preserve your family's proud heritage.”
    “You're beginning to sound like a commercial,” Luke said.
    “I don't care how I sound. I'm trying to make you understand what you're giving up by refusing to do your duty. Just think of what you could accomplish. Justine Gilchrist has single-handedly created the Gilchrist restaurant dynasty in Seattle. As her grandson and logical heir, you can take her place. You're the only one of the bunch who can.”
    “I'm breathless.”
    “You're laughing.”
    “Maybe. A little. I take back what I said earlier. You're not just interesting, you are definitely amusing.”
    “The heck with it.” Katy threw up her hands in disgust. “Everyone was right when they said there was no point trying to talk to you. I should have listened to them.”
    “True. But you don't take advice well, do you?”
    “Gilchrists do not give advice, they give orders. But you're right. I'm tired of taking them.” Katy strode back to the chair where she had been sitting. She snatched up her yellow jacket and briefcase and headed toward the hall without a backward glance.
    “Damn,” Luke muttered.
    She heard his boots on the hardwood floor as he got up quickly to follow her to the door.
    “I know you're not paying me for advice,”