A Woman's Touch Read online

  A WOMAN’S TOUCH

  Karen Toller Whittenburg

  Chapter One

  Silence dominated the boardroom for a moment before the throat clearing and skeptical chuckles began and then, just as abruptly, died. Only one of the six men present looked at her, leaving five to shift uncomfortably in the cushioned leather chairs. Paige was oddly pleased by the shock value of her announcement. If there hadn’t been so much at stake, she would have smiled. Instead, she met Edward’s disapproval with a steady regard.

  “Paige,” he said in a voice soft with paternal authority. “We cannot offer the job to Jefferson Lawrence.”

  How like her stepfather to pronounce Jeff’s name as if it were merely a filled-in blank on an application form. Paige lowered her eyes to the hands she clasped loosely on the tabletop and steeled herself to defend her position.

  “It’s taken a long time and a great deal of effort to secure this contract with Tri-Star,” she said. “We have our best technicians ready to begin work on it. It’s unfortunate that Jon Jacobs’ health is forcing him to retire, but it could be disastrous for Randall Electronics if we don’t hire someone to replace him immediately. Hiring a consulting firm is the quickest, most practical option open to us and Lawrence Associates comes highly recommended.”

  She kept her tone firm, reasonable, and calm, even though her body ached with tension. “I’m sure all of you will agree that Jeff is the most qualified engineer we could hope to find and he knows this company inside and out.”

  “That’s one way of putting it, I suppose.”

  Paige turned a cool stare to the man who had spoken. Mitchell Brewer was annoying under any circumstances, but now his snide demeanor grated against her control. “If you have an objection, Mitch, say so. We don’t have time for pointless remarks.”

  “All right,” Mitch said, his tone as brash as the impudent challenge in his pale blue eyes. “Why should we offer Lawrence a chance to steal from the company again?”

  “Again?” It was hard to keep her voice low and steady, but necessary. Very necessary. “Do you know something the rest of us don’t, Mitch?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched and tightened. “Lack of evidence is not proof of innocence.”

  “Or guilt.”

  “He’s a lousy risk, Paige. You, of all people, should know that.”

  Her knuckles went white as the room became oppressively close and stifling. She was aware of the glances the other board members turned first to her, then to Mitch, and finally to Edward, who coughed, a muffled, distracted sort of sound, yet when he spoke he had control of the meeting once again. “Paige. Mitchell. Let’s keep the discussion relevant.”

  “This is relevant.” Mitch slapped the walnut tabletop with his palm. “Evidence or no, Jeff Lawrence stole the specs for the NaeComp contract and sold them to the highest bidder. In the aftermath, we lost two sizable contracts and who knows how many others. I’ve spent the past twenty-four months assuring computer firms across the nation that Randall Electronics has plugged the leak, that it can’t happen again. Why should I sit here and let her…” He indicated Paige with a jerk of his blond head. “…sacrifice the company just because she’s having second thoughts about her divorce?”

  Edward Glendenning rose, his height only slightly less imposing than his authoritative manner. “Mitchell, as a majority shareholder, Paige naturally cares about the firm and you know she would never allow her private life to influence her decisions on company matters.” He smiled a dismissal. “Let’s adjourn for today and continue this discussion tomorrow.”

  “No.” Paige’s objection was lost in the shuffle of chairs being thrust back and the low drone of conversation as the board members prepared to leave the room. “No,” she repeated loudly, stopping all movement and bringing every gaze to her face. She remained seated, facing the men with a resolve born of desperation. “I want Jeff to be the project manager on this contract. There’s no reason to discuss it further.”

  “Well, isn’t that just great.” Mitch burst out with a protest.

  “Thank you, gentlemen.” Edward interrupted the discontented rumblings and with a curt nod, discouraged further comment.

  Five men filed silently from the room.

  Paige watched them go, knowing she had merely fired the opening shot. Her stepfather wouldn’t be easily persuaded.

  And he had the tactical advantage.

  She followed his movements with her eyes as he closed the door and returned to his chair at the opposite end of the table. He was tall and spare, a distinguished-looking man, with hair only a shade away from silver. It had been a rich deep brown when Paige had first met him. Sixteen years had passed since her mother had introduced an awkward, preadolescent Paige to her soon-to-be stepfather. She had been apprehensive then; she was no less apprehensive now.

  Closing the leather-bound notebook he always brought with him into the boardroom, he slowly turned his attention to her. A corner of his mouth lifted in ambiguous parental understanding.

  Paige waited.

  “You might, at least, have given me some advance warning, Paige. We could have discussed this before the meeting and avoided the scene with Brewer.”

  “I want you to offer the position to Jeff.” She moistened her lips. “I didn’t tell you before because I knew you’d try to change my mind. You can’t, Edward. No one can.”

  His thin lips softened to placate her. “Can we talk about it now? Is that against the rules?”

  There were no rules this time, she thought, no standard manual of professional ethics to follow. There was just a wrong that needed to be righted.

  And hope.

  Ever that elusive hope.

  “I suppose we must talk about it. Mitch only said what a lot of people will think.”

  “With good cause.”

  Her chin snapped up. “Jeff didn’t steal those papers.”

  Edward tapped his finger against the embossed symbol on the notebook cover. “Paige, you can’t make up to Jeff for what happened. I don’t think he’d accept the position anyway. Why would he want to come back when it would mean opening up the whole scandal again? I doubt he will even consider taking a job with us.”

  She could think of only one reason and she wasn’t optimistic about it. “He deserves the satisfaction of refusing. We owe him that much, Edward.”

  “Jeff made his own choices. No one asked him to resign.”

  “No one asked him to stay, either.” Nor had she. Could she ever make him understand? Would he even give her a chance to try? Paige toyed with one of the tiny pearl buttons at her cuff. “Edward, we were wrong to let him leave like that. We should never have agreed to stop the investigation, no matter what the consequences to the company.”

  “It was what Jeff wanted,” Edward said irritably. “Don’t you remember how adamant he was?”

  She didn’t. Her memories of that afternoon were indistinct, like out-of-focus photographs that no amount of regret could clarify. She only remembered the way Jeff had avoided looking at her ... and the nauseating confusion of her own uncertainty.

  “It doesn’t matter, Edward. The fact remains, we took the easy way out and let Jeff leave under a cloud of suspicion instead of getting to the bottom of the theft. We swept it under the rug, cut our losses, and went on with business as though nothing had happened.”

  Edward stroked his angular chin, as if the neatly clipped beard he’d once worn were still in place. Then he left his end of the table to take the chair beside Paige. “It’s a little late for regrets,” he said. “Both professional and personal. Something did happen, Paige. The papers were stolen and the evidence did implicate Jeff. He chose not to explain why he was in the building that night or why he had cleared out his office. It wasn’t your choice and it wasn’t mine, so I really don’t see what more we could have done.”

  Logically, of course, he was right.

  But over the course of two lonely years, she had come to understand that logic made no sense whatsoever.

  “I want to do something now. Maybe it is too little, too late, but I want to make the gesture. I hope you’ll understand, but if not....” She left the sentence hanging, reluctant to complete the threat, yet unwilling to back down. “If push comes to shove and it goes to a vote, Mother will support me on this. You know she will, Edward.”

  His smile curved in rueful acknowledgment. “She spoils you, Paige, but then I suppose the same could be said of me. I wouldn’t be much of a parent, though, if I didn’t try to discourage you this time. Offering the Tri-Star project to Jeff is not in the company’s best interest. And it isn’t in your best interest, either. The divorce has been final for well over a year now and you haven’t heard a single word from Jeff in all that time.” Edward reached to pat her hand. “Your mother and I have talked about this, Paige, and frankly, we’re concerned about you. Haven’t you mourned your marriage long enough?”

  With a soft sigh, she rose and walked to the window. “I don’t expect you — I don’t expect anyone — to understand. This is something I have to do.”

  “Do you think the offer of this consulting job will bring Jeff back to you? Do you want a reconciliation, Paige? Is that the reason behind all this? Is that why you’ve officially kept Paige Lawrence as your name instead of changing it back to Randall?”

  A reconciliation was hardly within the realm of possibility. “My reasons are my own. Please don’t ask me to explain or defend them, Edward.”

  “That’s a pretty tall order, my dea
r.”

  Her smile went wry with affection. “Speaking as company president or as my stepfather?”

  “Both.” He stood, but made no move to cross the room and the hard-won boundaries of her independence. “I think you’re making a mistake. There’s no doubt that Jeff is the most qualified man in the area for this particular contract, but if he should actually accept the job….”

  Paige turned from the silent warning and looked through the window to the buildings that housed Randall Electronics ... her company, jointly owned with her mother, founded by her father years before when the computer age was only a glimmer on the horizon. Was she risking its future for nothing more than a nebulous guilt? Or was she simply weighing one loyalty against another and finding the scales out of balance?

  Restlessly, she pressed a palm to the cool glass. “How soon will you get in touch with him, Edward?”

  There was a sharp, deliberate pause, and though she wasn’t watching, Paige knew he was frowning. “I’ll extend the offer this afternoon,” Edward said in a voice that revealed none of the reservations she knew he harbored, but let her know he disapproved nonetheless. “Jeff will have until Monday morning to accept … or reject that offer.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to face her stepfather, wishing there were something more meaningful she could say. “I hope you understand, Edward, that this has nothing to do with you. You’ve always done a wonderful job in managing the company, watching after Mother’s interests ... and mine. You know I have no designs on your job and I’d never pull rank on you like this if it wasn’t….” She broke off, not knowing exactly how to complete the thought.

  Was this gesture of good faith really necessary? Or was she simply justifying the means to an end? “This is very important to me.”

  “I know, Paige.” He paused, then resolutely picked up his notebook and walked to the door. “We’ll just have to see what happens. In all probability, Jeff won’t accept.”

  “You could be right.”

  “I hope I am, Paige. For a lot of reasons, I sincerely hope that I am.” With a wistful sort of smile, Edward stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone in the boardroom. Paige turned back to the window and, with a thumb and forefinger, massaged the bridge of her nose.

  It was done, she thought, the first step taken.

  Now, if only Jeff would meet her halfway.

  * * * *

  The buzz of the phone was an irritation. So was the ticking of the antique clock on the wall. Jeff tossed his pen to the desk and called out to his secretary in the office on the other side of his own. “Hold my calls.” Closing his door, he began pacing the length of the room. Eventually, he sank onto the cushions of the leather sofa and loosened the knot of his tie.

  It was a nice office, he thought with a glance around, comfortable, convenient, and a definite improvement over the cubicle he’d called his own at Randall Electronics.

  He had a nice life now too. Perhaps it wasn’t a tremendous improvement over his life before, but at least he felt in control of it.

  So why had one job offer thrown his perspective out of kilter?

  Paige.

  She was responsible for the offer and for his irritability. Edward had been the one to make the job offer, but it was Paige who had insisted it be made. Under the circumstances, Jeff couldn’t quite pinpoint her motives, but he was sure they lay somewhere in the subtext of Glendenning’s crisp, concise job offer.

  It sounded forthright enough, Jeff thought. Randall Electronics had contracted to build a microchip, which in turn would be used by Tri-Star to fulfill their contract with the United States government. He’d consulted with other computer manufacturers on similar contracts and he was familiar with both companies involved. Still, this was a little more than a basic consultation: Paige wanted him to be project manager and oversee the production.

  Whatever else she might have in mind, he had no desire to discover. Going back was not his style.

  Yet he couldn’t deny that he was tempted.

  He’d thought he’d come to grips with all that had happened, that he’d pulled himself past the point of wanting to vindicate his innocence. But now the simple offer of a job had brought it all back – the anger, the betrayal, the helplessness, everything.

  And Paige was responsible for it all.

  A brusque knock on the door was followed by Toby’s wide grin and lanky frame. “So,” he said, “this is what you do when you close the door. It’s a little early in the day for napping on the job, Lawrence. This is Monday, remember?”

  Jeff lifted one corner of his mouth in halfhearted greeting. “So it is.”

  “I can see you’re not in the mood to discuss computer malfunctions.”

  “That obvious, huh?” Jeff leaned against the sofa back and crossed an ankle at his knee. “Actually, I’m contemplating a job offer.”

  “Apparently not with much enthusiasm.” Toby’s eyebrows rose with mercenary interest. “How good an offer is it?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “If the company is solvent, it’s a good offer. We haven’t been in business long enough to turn away paying customers.”

  “Money isn’t the most important consideration in this case. There are other ... factors.”

  Toby settled onto the corner of the desk, crossed his arms, and assumed an indulgent expression. “Get serious. Money is all that counts. We can’t afford to turn down any offer.”

  “Not this time.” Jeff waved a hand toward the desk top. “Take a look at this.”

  Toby picked up the faxed document, his forehead wrinkling all the way to his receding hairline as he scanned the sheet of paper. Lifting his head, he gave a low whistle. “Randall Electronics. Now, isn’t that a kick? Just when you’re getting the hang of inline skates, someone sticks out a foot and trips you up.”

  “Not someone, my ex-wife.” The word tasted bitter in his mouth and Jeff realized it was the first time he’d referred to Paige in that way. There should have been a certain satisfaction in verbally relegating her to the past.

  But he felt only an aching emptiness.

  “Paige,” he clarified, although Toby had heard her name dozens of times before. “She’s behind this. Edward Glendenning would never have offered this job to our firm if she hadn’t insisted. I just can’t imagine why she would.”

  “Oh, come on, Jeff. You were married – what? Three years? You must have some idea.”

  Absently, Jeff began to drum his fingers against his leg. “I suppose she might be trying to soothe a guilty conscience.”

  “Or…?”

  He didn’t want to think about the other possibilities. “How the hell should I know? I could never explain why she did the things she did when we were married. It would be foolish to try to analyze her motives now.”

  “Well, don’t let that stop you. It’s been a long time since you did anything foolish.”

  “It’s been exactly fourteen and a half minutes. I shouldn’t have looked at that offer. A little curiosity can be deadly.”

  Toby pursed his mouth in friendly dispute. “Live dangerously. Accept the position and see what develops.”

  “I know what will develop – a king-sized headache.”

  “And maybe the answers to some very important questions.”

  Jeff sighed and rubbed the tension in his shoulder muscles. “I know I didn’t steal those spec sheets, Toby. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

  The silence was more eloquent than any argument could have been.

  Jeff knew, just as Toby knew, that it did matter.

  For almost two years, he’d allowed peripheral issues to cloud his perspective. It was time and past to take a long, steady look at his own motives. “But I’m going to give this golden opportunity some serious consideration just the same.”

  Toby nodded a benign approval as he stood and brushed the wrinkles from his trousers. “Let’s go to lunch.”

  “Now?” Jeff glanced at his watch – a first anniversary gift from Paige.

  He didn’t know why he still wore it.

  “Too early?” Toby asked. “All right, you’re the senior partner. I’ll come back in an hour.”

  “For someone who’s worried about the checking account, you don’t seem too concerned about doing any work.”