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“It’d be best for you not to find yourself alone with me again today if you plan on focusing on your business,” he advised.
“Understood.” She cast a fleeting look around the room.
“Good.” He gave a caressing squeeze to her upper arm.
The brief pump around her arm was enough to initiate a wince from Tielle. Her reaction was faint but enough to draw attention.
Grae cocked his head inquisitively. “What?”
“Grae—”
“Did I hurt you? Was it last night? Just now?”
“It’s fine, Grae—”
“Dammit, Tel.” He bowed his head, grinding down hard while his jaw muscle flexed. “Please don’t give me that lie when—” he pumped her arm again and grimaced at her wince “—I can see proof that you’re not.”
“Please listen to me.” Keeping her expression cool, she patted his bare chest in a reassuring fashion. “I’m all right. You didn’t hurt me it—it’s just an aftereffect.”
“Aftereffect.” He repeated the word as though it was obscene.
“Just please get downstairs.” Tielle was too preoccupied by that morning’s goings-on to spend added time soothing Grae’s concerns. She kissed his cheek and left him with a smile that was not reciprocated.
Chapter 10
“Where’s Faro?”
“Where’s Grae?”
The two questions were bandied about in the midst of conversation regarding the slew of reporters at the gates of Turner Estates and Gardens. While the main gates couldn’t be seen from the house, a morning golf game between a few early rising of the family revealed the media presence. Some of the craftier members of the press found their way on the property by taking the long way around to the course where they proceeded to ask the golfers a few choice questions.
“What’s all this about new management?”
“Why don’t we know about it?”
“What will your stockholders do when they ask why they didn’t know about it?”
“Where’s Faro?”
“Good question,” Tielle said to Laura after they arrived in the dining room and caught remnants of the various conversations.
“How’d all this get traced back to Faro anyway?” Tielle warmed her hands over the cashmere sleeves of the sweater she’d changed into after her second shower.
“Apparently the press who talked with the family this morning told them Faro had an important announcement to make, so they just threw in some of their own assumptions.”
“And since he’s yet to make an appearance…” Tielle raised her eyebrows.
Laura reciprocated the gesture. “Right…What do we do, Ti?”
Tielle massaged a mounting ache near her temple. “What else? Go into the lion’s den and try to calm the lions.”
“Faro!” Someone saw the man entering the room, and the din of conversation raised several decibels.
“He looks calm,” Laura softly noted.
Tielle wasn’t convinced. “Yeah…calm.”
“Everyone, please.” Faro waved his hands toward the group in a request for silence. Questions continued to abound. Faro eventually cupped his hands around his mouth. “Silence, please! Now, everybody, I’m sorry about the uproar out there, I really didn’t expect such a turnout.”
“Turnout for what?” someone asked.
“What’s the press mean by ‘new management’?” another asked.
“Everyone, please,” Faro repeated when the mélange of voices began to take on new life. “Now the press is aware of our family retreat because I told them. I thought we could use the occasion to handle a little PR,” he said as the family began to go wild again.
“Folks, think of how positive a sign our stockholders will take this to know how hard we’re working to become a united front.”
“Why would they come all the way up here to watch us hold hands and sing love songs around the fireplace?” someone queried.
“You’re right.” Faro smiled. “Chances are we’ve got so much company because they’re hoping all the love and togetherness would turn foul and they’ll have a story.”
