“I sure am.” Lexi nodded. Up. Down. Either. Both. The miracle would be if they made it to the charity event at all.
Clay tucked his phone back into the inside pocket of his jacket and strolled into Dax’s office. “I’m driving her up,” he announced as he plopped into the chair.
Dax raised his hand for Clay to hold off on saying more and ended his call. “Good. Now, can I get back to work?”
Rubbing a hand over his chin, Clay said, “So, I’m interviewing staff today. I was hoping I could get a few tips from you on how to weed out the riffraff.”
“What do you mean you’re interviewing? For what? And why are you doing it here?”
“My office is here,” Clay said with mock outrage. “I don’t have employees, and you won’t share yours. How am I supposed to run a business with no staff?”
“Whoa. Stop right there. You’re starting a business?”
“Don’t sound so fucking shocked. I’ve made a ton of money for you over the years. My networking skills are unparalleled. Everything I touch turns to gold. Why shouldn’t I run a business?”
“Here? In my building?”
“Are you suggesting I relocate? That can be devastating for a young company.”
Dax leaned back in his chair and looked heavenward for strength. “Does this new business have a name?”
Clay held up the notebook and pen he’d used earlier with Dax when they’d brainstormed for places Lexi might want to work. “I thought we could choose one this morning.”
Throwing up his hands, Dax used his intercom to ask Kate to hold his calls. “Is it for profit?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I thought you were looking into partnering with charities.”
“I am and I’ve already donated to several. This is different. I want to build something of my own. Prove that I can do it.”
“Okay. You could start a foundation.”
Clay spread his hands out in the air as if stretching the word. “The Landon Foundation. I like it. There’s room on the front of this building for an iconic L.”
“No. No there isn’t.”
“Let the idea sink in before you reject it.” He tapped his pen on the still blank page. “What’s the next step?”
“Most foundations are established as nonprofit corporations with the purpose of making grants to various organizations or groups. You should have one you focus on.”
Nodding, Clay wrote: Find interesting cause. “This is good stuff.”
“Sophie is active in many charities. She’d be better at helping you with this than I am.”
Clay made a face. “I want to look like I know what I’m doing before I take this to the Barringtons.”
With a shake of his head, Dax said, “Why?” Then he smiled. “This is about Lexi, isn’t it? You want to impress her.”
Clay shrugged. “She doesn’t think I can commit to anything.”
“Can you?”
“I think so. I hope so. If I thought anyone was listening I’d send up a request for a little guidance, but no amount of Christmas lights will convince me we’re not alone. I have what I need for now, though.” Clay stood. “Oh, and one more thing. I’ll need you to clear out five more offices for me.”
“Really? Why?”
“I told you, I’m hiring staff today.”
Dax groaned then pressed the intercom again. “Kate? Drop what you’re doing. You’re helping Clay this morning. It appears he’s conducting interviews, and he’ll need your expertise with organizing it. He may also need a few offices cleared out. Move Jamison’s team up one floor.”
Clay leaned forward. “I knew you’d share her with me. Congratulations Kate, you just got a huge raise, double your present salary.”
“Really?” Kate exclaimed.
Dax lifted his finger off the intercom. “You’re paying her.”
“No problem.”
“And she’s the only employee of mine you get to talk to. That’s it. Don’t mess with anyone else.”
“I promise.”
Dax pressed the intercom button again. “Really. I’ll send a memo down to HR. You can say no, Kate, even after today. My office is your priority, but if Clay needs it, then I guess you can help him out from time to time.”
Clay propped his feet up on the corner of Dax’s desk and laced his fingers behind his head. “The Landon Foundation.”
Dax leaned forward and knocked Clay’s feet off his desk. “Housed, temporarily, in the Marshall building.”
“Don’t worry, Dax, you won’t even notice I’m here.”
Chapter Eight
Whatever romantic ideas Lexi had had about the drive to Vermont with Clay had taken a backseat about halfway into the trip, when the light snow that had been falling in Boston was replaced by heavier flakes as they drove northward. Lexi’s phone beeped with an incoming message. She read it then said, “Willa is watching the news. She said the storm is intensifying. Ice and snow. They can’t fly out today.”
Clay kept his eyes on the road. “I didn’t expect it to be this bad. How far out are we?”
Lexi looked at the GPS. “We’re halfway there, but I don’t think that means less than two hours. Not with the snow sticking to the road the way it is. I’m sorry. I should have checked the weather more carefully.”
“Hey,” Clay said, taking her hand in his. “Don’t worry about it. The guy I bought this Hummer from said it could drive through anything.”
“Have you had it long?” Lexi asked. It looked new.
“A couple of days.”
Lexi looked down at their laced fingers. “Did you buy it for this trip?”
“I did.”
“You’re crazy.”
“My Jaguar wasn’t built for snow, and I’m driving with precious cargo.”
That made her smile. “Thank you, but you realize you can rent cars, right?”
“Renting is for people who don’t know what they want. I do. I made my choice, and I have no problem committing to it.”
The way he said committing sent Lexi’s heart beating wildly. Don’t read anything into what he says. He’s a flirt. Like me. “I had no idea you were so serious about cars.”
“I’m serious about a lot of things.” The Hummer swerved a bit as it hit a small patch of ice. Clay returned his hands to the steering wheel. “Although, right now, I should focus on getting us there in one piece.”
Lexi turned down the radio. “I hope you can see farther than I can.”
“It’s fine, Lexi,” he said in a tone that made her realize she must have sounded nervous. “A lot safer than trying to fly in this weather.”
Lexi turned to watch his profile. “Most people think I’m crazy for not flying.”
“Most people didn’t lose their parents in a plane crash.”
He said it the same way she would have, a little bit angry with a dash of rebellion. He gets it. “Exactly. Every time I think it shouldn’t bother me anymore, I try to board a plane and panic at the last minute. I’ve even bought plane tickets then driven anyway. Willa says I’ll never see the world if I don’t get over it. I’m not sure I can.”
After a quick glance at her, Clay said, “There is something called a boat. Now, I don’t know too much about it, but I hear it floats instead of flies. People have even been known to use them to get across large bodies of water.”
Lexi smacked his arm, but she smiled as she did it. “Thanks. I’ll look into them.”
“I happen to own a rather large yacht. It’s bigger than most. Not too big. Too big is almost as bad as too small.” He shot her another look and winked.
Lexi was still laughing as she asked, “Is there anything you can’t make into a sexual innuendo?”
With a completely straight face, he said, “Me? I was referring only to my boat. You are completely responsible for where your mind went.”
“I’ll remember that,” she warned. She turned forward just in time to see a pair of headlights coming straight at the
m on their side of the road. “Clay?” She smacked his arm again. “Clay, do you see that?”
“Holy shit,” Clay exclaimed and pulled into the other lane. The car flew past. He looked over his shoulder. “What the hell was that?”
Just then the Hummer hit a patch of ice that sent the vehicle into a spin. Clay fought to correct it, but there was too much ice and too much momentum. They started into a spin that took them back across the road and into a ditch.
As soon as the car stopped, Clay turned to her. “Lexi, are you okay?”
Lexi nodded, but took a moment before answering. “I think so. Are you?”
Releasing his seat belt Clay ran his hands over her face and then her arms. “Did you hit your head?”
“No, no . . . I’m okay.”
He released her belt as well and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. “I thought—for a second there—”
“Me, too,” Lexi mumbled into his chest, loving the feel of his strong arms around her.
He pulled back enough so he could see her face. “I can’t lose you now; I just started believing in—”
He stopped and Lexi raised her hand to caress his cheek. Me, too. “What? What did you just start believing in?”
A look entered Clay’s eyes that Lexi had never seen before. Desire laced with something else. “Me. You. Us. The whole thing. When I’m with you, I feel like I can do anything. When we’re apart nothing matters more than being with you again. I’ve been in a sleepless, nauseated, and euphoric state since we met.”
“Is that a good thing?” Lexi asked, her eyes brimming with laughter as well as tears.
“I don’t want to be your friend, Lexi. I want so much more.” His mouth closed over hers and Lexi welcomed the claiming.
It was more than a kiss. Clay used his lips, his tongue, to declare a hunger for her that would have scared her if she hadn’t felt the same for him. She opened her mouth wider to him, wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him as they explored each other with abandon.
He lifted her easily so she was sitting across his lap and ran his hands up beneath her shirt to caress her bare skin. She inched her skirt higher so less material would be between his hardness and her eager sex. They ground against each other like teenagers giving in to wild urges. He undid the first button of her shirt and kissed the skin it exposed then reached for the second.
A loud knock on the window made them both jump. “Are you all right in there? Do you need an ambulance?”
Clay eased Lexi back onto her own seat and straightened the front of her shirt before rolling down the window. “We’re okay.”
A tall bearded man who looked like he was in his late fifties peered into the vehicle. “You shouldn’t be out tonight. We’re sanding the roads but the ice is pretty bad.”
“I noticed,” Clay said dryly. “Thanks for checking on us.”
“Do you need a ride? Will it start?”
“It should,” Clay said. The engine kicked on.
“You might want to see if you can pull out of that ditch. The roads are closed so you won’t see many come by here after me.”
Clay put it in reverse. The back wheels spun, but the front made a nasty, grinding noise.
“Looks like you broke an axle,” the man said. “You’re not driving anywhere in that thing tonight.”
Clay slammed a hand on the wheel before turning back to the man and offering his hand for him to shake. “Clay Landon. Could we offer to compensate you for a ride to anywhere but here?”
“Kenny Meade. I have to finish sanding this route, but you can come along. There’s a motel a few miles from here. They should have open rooms.”
Lexi expected Clay to demand a better option, but he didn’t. He simply thanked him then turned to Lexi. “Are you comfortable going with him? We’ll grab our smaller bags and come back for the rest tomorrow.”
Lexi peered past Clay to the large sanding truck the man had driven. “He doesn’t seem dangerous.”
Clay checked his phone. “I have no service here. How about you?”
“Nothing.”
“That settles it then.” Reaching back over the seat to grab a bag, Clay said, “If he kills us, at least we die together.”
Lexi smacked him. “Stop.”
Clay rubbed his arm. “All this hitting today. If I didn’t know it was pent-up sexual frustration, I’d think you’re too rough for me.” He rubbed his chin as if putting serious thought into something. “On the other hand, rough can be nice.”
“Oh, I’ll show you rough.”
Clay laughed and opened his door. “Come on, Princess. Your new carriage awaits.”
Wedged into the front seat of the truck between Lexi and their new friend, Kenny, wasn’t the way Clay had imagined the night going, but he’d been in worse situations. Kenny on the other hand looked exhausted.
“Long shift?” Clay asked.
“Double, but I’m not complaining. You have to take the work when it’s there.”
Clay nodded and felt a bit guilty that he’d never put in a full day of work, never mind overtime. “Do you work for the state?”
“I’m an independent contractor. During storms like this there’s work for everyone.”
“What do you do the rest of the year?”
The man flexed his hands on the wheel as if he didn’t want to answer, but eventually did. “I’m new to this area, so I do whatever is available.”
Clay’s curiosity was piqued, but he didn’t ask more.
The man looked over and said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s all right,” Clay said, moved by the genuineness the man exuded. “It happens.”
“Yeah, it does.”
From beside him, Lexi asked, “Where are you from, Kenny?”
“Not far. Maine. I had a small plow business up there. Nothing big, but good money. Last year my father-in-law passed away, and my wife wanted to be closer to her mother. So here we are.” He glanced at Clay. “You English?”
“Guilty as charged,” Clay said. “Although I’ve moved around a lot.”
“I did a lot of that when I was younger,” Kenny said. “Twenty years in the Marines before I retired. Those were good years, but they don’t do much for me now. I didn’t think I’d be working this hard this late in life.”
Lexi and Clay exchanged a look.
“Enough about me, where are you two headed?” the man asked.
Lexi answered, “Stowe. The event we’re going to is actually going to donate furniture to a veteran. You should go and bring your wife.”
“Furniture for veterans doesn’t do much good if you don’t have a house.” Although the man’s tone was light, there was sadness in his eyes. “Don’t go looking at me like that. I’m not referring to me and my wife. We live with her mother for now. It’s not ideal, but it’s enough. I was thinking about some of my buddies from the corps. Not all of them are doing as well as I am. Furniture wouldn’t mean much to some of them.”
“The full scope of the fundraiser includes building housing for veterans. At least, I think that’s what Sophie said. Am I right, Clay?”
Clay felt like shit that he couldn’t remember, but if it didn’t, it would from then on. He’d make sure of it. “Yes, it does.”
“Fundraisers. I’m sure those people feel good about themselves, but do they make a difference? I know men who are fighting demons that they can’t get treatment for because some suit tells them it’s not real. I’ve got a buddy in Maine who has been homeless ever since the first year he came home. He doesn’t need furniture; he needs someone to make the government look after those who fought to defend this country. It ain’t right for people who give so much to have to wait so long to get treatment. Keep your damn couch and make sure veterans get the benefits they’re due. I don’t want charity; I just want what was promised. Sorry, I’ll come down off my soapbox now. I’m sure the event you’re going to will help a lot of people.”
r /> Right then Clay knew what he wanted his foundation to focus on. He linked his hand with Lexi’s and said, “Kenny, I’ve been looking for a consultant on a project I’m working on. If you’re interested, I’ll contact you after the holidays.”
Kenny looked away from the road long enough to assess if Clay was serious, then asked, “What kind of project?”
“The Landon Foundation is looking into funding programs to help veterans.”
Kenny frowned. “You pulling my leg?”
“Not at all.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences. You’re serious? You work for a foundation that helps veterans?”
Clay didn’t believe in coincidences either. It was right up there with a long list of things he’d always dismissed as impossible. The sun had set as the sander pulled off the main road. With no street lights it should have been dark, but the light of the moon glistened on the freshly fallen snow in an almost mystical way. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered asking for guidance.
Was it a sign of divine intervention or a meaningless chance encounter with a man who just happened to say something that fit what Clay was searching for? Turning, Clay looked into Lexi’s eyes and could have sworn he glimpsed forever.
I love this woman.
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Lexi and I run it. It’s still in the beginning stages, but that’s why we could use someone like you. Your experiences would help us help others. It’d be a paid position, of course, and one that could be done via conference calls.”
“Hold on, you’d pay me to tell you about my friends?”
“No, we’d pay you to use what you know about your friends to build a network of support for them and anyone in their situation. I’d start you at . . .” He quoted an annual salary that had the older man’s jaw dropping open.
Hope came and went from the man’s eyes with sad speed. “That would be real nice if it happens. I’ll give you my number.”
Lexi tightened her hand on Clay’s, and her eyes filled with tears. He knew exactly how she felt, but there was no way to prove his sincerity to Kenny right then. All he could do was prove it to him later. “Perfect. We’ll contact you first thing after the holiday.”