Sweet Fortune

David?” Vincent asked.
    “Yes.”
    “Your father was one of the smartest men I've ever met. Your mother was right: back at the beginning, I depended on him. Without his abilities I would never have gotten Benedict Fasteners off the ground. I knew construction and I thought I knew the industry, but I didn't know much about running a business.”
    “And my father did?”
    “He sure did. Like I said, he was real smart that way. But two years after we finally started turning a decent profit, Lloyd nearly stole the company blind.”
    David stared at him. “He what ?”
    “He embezzled over three hundred thousand dollars before I realized what was going on. That was a lot of money back then. Hell, still is. Benedict Fasteners nearly went under.”
    David shook his head, looking stunned. “ No . I don't believe it.”
    “You asked for the truth and I'm giving it to you. Straight. Man-to-man. No more chocolate-candy coating to make it palatable, like your mother always wanted me to do.”
    David's expression was nearly blank. “But Mom always said he was brilliant.”
    “He was. Your father was a brilliant, lying, cheating thief. And when I found out what he was doing, I fired his ass. Gave him a choice between clearing out and going to jail. He cleared out. Glenna decided not to go with him. Couldn't blame her. What kind of future would the two of you have had with a man like that?”
    “Mother always said you owed us,” David said in a dazed voice.
    “When your dad left I told her I'd see to it that you and she never suffered. Told her I felt I owed her that much because of what Lloyd had contributed to the company in the early days. And because she was Lilian's sister and…well, there were other reasons.” Vincent glanced uneasily at his two ex-wives, who were watching him with rapt attention. “Like I said, I felt I owed her.”
    “Why didn't anyone ever tell me the full truth?” David demanded tightly.
    Vincent shrugged. “In the beginning it was because you were too young to understand. And because Glenna wanted the truth kept from everyone in the family. I went along with it. But I think that over the years she sort of chose to forget what really happened.”
    “She just focused on how much her husband had done for the company back at the beginning and on the fact that you owed her,” Lilian said. “That explains a lot about her possessiveness toward you and the firm.”
    “And why she always felt David should have inherited,” Constance added thoughtfully.
    “I can't believe you never told me the truth.” David shook his head in bewilderment. “I can't believe you kept that kind of secret for so long.”
    “A boy doesn't need to hear that kind of thing about his father,” Hatch said quietly.
    “Yeah,” said Vincent. “Doesn't do a kid any good to know his old man was a complete bastard. Sort of makes things harder than they are already. Just ask Hatch. Or me.”
    “Why am I getting the full truth now?” David looked straight at Vincent. “Because I asked for it?”
    “Nah.” Vincent picked up his champagne glass. “I've been sitting on that secret for years. Could have taken it to my grave. I'm telling you the facts now because I think you can handle 'em, in spite of what your mother says about you being so goddamned sensitive.”
    “What makes you think that?”
    “Hatch here told me you pulled your own weight when you went along on that stupid trip to rescue the Attwood girl. And you didn't send Jessie to ask me for money for grad school, like I was expecting you to do. All things considered, I figure you've turned into a man. You don't need protecting anymore.”

    Hatch shrugged into his jacket and picked up his briefcase. He gave Jessie a very serious look as he paused to kiss her good-bye at the door of her apartment. “Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone.”
    “You betcha.” She smiled beatifically up at him and batted her eyelashes.
    Hatch groaned. “Why do I even bother to ask?” He kissed her soundly. “I should be back by ten tonight unless the flight is late.”
    “Sure you don't want to stay over in Spokane and come back in the morning?”
    “No, I do not want to spend the night in a hotel room in Spokane when I can spend it here in your bed.” Hatch scowled and glanced at his watch. “I just want to get this damn contract signed, sealed, and delivered before the wedding so I can enjoy my honeymoon.”
    “This is that dippy little contract that