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Inside the ranch house kitchen, Brody opened the fridge and pulled out two beers and the makings of a turkey sandwich. He handed a beer over, popped the top on his own, and threw together a gourmet sandwich in less than five minutes. What kind of guy could do that? The kind that fed clients all day long at a dude ranch, that’s what kind. Gerard smiled.
“You’re good for my spirit,” he told Brody.
“Well, good. I’m glad I’ve helped already.” His wide smile was easy and relaxed. “How’s that sister of yours?”
“Why?” He stared hard at his friend.
“Hey, she’s cute. Can you blame me for asking?”
“Yes. You don’t need her kind of trouble. But, since you asked, she’s fine. Just got back from some beach vacation.”
“That’s something you should do yourself one of these days. How’s that new-hire of yours? Rowan, right?”
“How the hell do you know her name?”
Brody chewed a bite of his sandwich before answering. “You mentioned her when you called to say you wouldn’t be at poker. You must be mired in some deep shit to be forgetting like this. I actually wondered if you were interested in her. Going to be the first to fall to that pledge, Barrett?” He grinned.
Gerard pulled every bit of strength he could into keeping his face from showing any hint that Brody had just stung him where it hurt. Fuck.
“I doubt it. And whether I might be interested or not,” he said, keeping his tone neutral. “She’s an employee. You know how I feel about that.”
“I do. Doesn’t mean rules are stronger than pheromones and hormones.”
“Well, they need to be.”
“So no beach time with the lovely Rowan, huh?”
He wanted to slap the gleam out of Brody’s eyes. He needed a change of subject and quick. Lying to his friend wasn’t something he did easily. They all considered each other their safe place. He hadn’t outright lied, but the omission already bothered him. He’d deal with that later. Right now, he had bigger issues.
“Can’t. Not at the moment.”
“What’s going on?”
He glanced around the familiar, laid-back kitchen. “You know, I’m a little jealous you left the corporate world behind and designed your own life.”
“It must be bad for you to say that. You love every bit of that life, including the stress that comes with it. I always thought you fed off stress.”
Taking a long pull on his beer, he shook his head. “Even I have limits.”
“What’s going on?”
“One of the board members is attempting a coup.”
“Someone’s trying to kick you out of your own company? Bastard.”
“And he might just succeed. The company’s heading in the wrong direction.”
“Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve had to do this, but let’s map this out and find the strategy. There’s always one, remember?”
Gerard nodded. Leave it to Brody to focus on the fix. That’s why he loved this guy so much.
They spent the afternoon running through things, and by the time he left, Gerard felt better. In fact, he felt like a fire had been lit beneath him. Silverman had to be behind the fund dumps. He just needed a way to prove it. He had an idea, and he needed to talk to Rowan before he could put it into action.
By the time he got back to the city and called her office, she’d already left for the night. He called her cell but got no answer and didn’t want to leave a message. Stuck until tomorrow, he drove to his condo, stopping by a local watering hole for a drink to settle him.
Nursing a whiskey they stocked special for him, and deep in thought, he didn’t notice the man who sat beside him until he spoke.
“Barrett, fancy meeting you here.”
