Sweet Fortune

up your mind to have my daughter, nothing short of the crack of doom could have stopped you.”
    “You were right.” Hatch sat down again.
    An odd, charged silence descended on the table. Jessie was acutely aware of the strange tension flowing around her. It was as if everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
    Hatch and Vincent continued to eye each other across the width of the table, reminding Jessie of two gunslingers outside a saloon at high noon.
    “The thing you got to remember about sharks,” Vincent said slowly, “is that they bite.”
    “That's why we have teeth,” Hatch explained.
    “And God knows, if Benedict Fasteners is ever going to have a shot at moving into the big time,” Vincent continued “it'll need a shark with a lot of teeth in charge. I'm reinstating your contract, as of now, Hatch.”
    An audible collective gasp could be heard from almost everyone at the table.
    “It's not quite that simple,” Hatch reminded him gently. “There's the little matter of splitting up the company among Jessie, Elizabeth, David, and me.”
    “Hell, I know that.” Vincent scowled at him. “I wouldn't be here tonight if I wasn't agreeing to that part of the deal.”
    Jessie sat back in her chair, limp with relief as cheers of delight went up around the table. These were followed by an exuberant whooping shout from David. Heads turned in the restaurant.
    “Well,” Constance said with deep satisfaction as the clamor died down, “I'm pleased you've decided to be reasonable about this after all, Vince. Didn't think you had it in you.”
    Lilian smiled at her ex-husband and patted his hand. “Congratulations, Vince. You're doing the right thing.”
    “Way to go, Dad.” Elizabeth was grinning from ear to ear. “Now Jessie can stay here in Seattle.”
    “Hatch was right.” David looked at Vincent. “You might be stubborn as all hell, but you're not entirely stupid.”
    “Thank you, David.” Vincent slanted him a wry glance.
    “What if,” Hatch said coolly, his expression unreadable, “I decide I don't want to go back to work for you?”
    Another audible gasp was heard. This time everyone turned to stare at Hatch, who did not appear to notice that he was now the focus of attention.
    Vincent smiled grimly, looking very sharklike himself. He picked up the bottle of champagne and poured himself a glass. “Why, then, I'll just have to sue you for breach of contract, won't I?”
    Hatch allowed himself a slow grin. “You'd do it, too, wouldn't you, you sonofabitch.”
    “In about two seconds,” Vincent agreed equably.
    “Then it looks like I'll be going back to work at Benedict Fasteners,” Hatch said. Under the table his hand closed fiercely around Jessie's. “And the company will have some new owners.”
    She turned her head to look at him, realization dawning slowly as she saw the cool triumph in his gaze. Then she started to laugh. Everyone started at her in astonishment.
    “Honest to God, Hatch, if you tell me you planned it this way, I swear I'll dump the rest of this champagne over your head,” Jessie managed to get out between giggles.
    Hatch smiled and pulled her close long enough to cover her mouth in a quick, hard kiss. “Sometimes a man just gets lucky.”
    The scraping of a chair on the far side of the table broke through Jessie's euphoria. She turned to see Glenna rising to her feet in a quick, jerky movement. Her aunt's face was twisted with rage.
    “No,” Glenna said forcefully. “No, this isn't right. It's not right, I tell you.”
    The shocking sight of Glenna Ringstead looking nearly out of control held everyone at the table spellbound.
    “It should have been David,” Glenna hissed through set teeth. “It should have been my son you put in charge, Vincent. The company should go to him. All of it . Not just a quarter, but all of it. He deserved it after what you did to his father. Damn you. Damn you to hell. It's not right .”
    Before anyone could respond, Glenna whirled around, still moving in a stiff, unnatural manner, and fled toward the door.
    It was David who broke the stunned silence that followed. He looked at Vincent. “Don't you think it's time you told me just what you did do to my father?”
    Vincent's sigh was one of deep resignation. “Maybe it is. I think you can handle it, David. I didn't always think that way, but now…” He flicked a glance at Hatch. “Now I have a feeling you can.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

    Y ou want the God's honest truth,