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  One simply did not refuse when Agnes Sherwood requested a lunch date. Especially since Rob and Kate had been trying to pin down the matriarch on her contribution to the pediatric wing since they’d announced their commitment to raise the remaining three million dollars for Celebration Memorial Hospital.

  Agnes had been out of the country for a couple of months and unavailable the past few times he and Kate had tried to schedule meetings. It was beginning to feel like avoidance. So her phone call had come as a surprise that morning. He was eager to find out why this woman who didn’t make a habit of simply doing lunch, in fact, wanted to have lunch with him. Specifically him. She’d asked him to meet her in downtown Celebration, which was twenty minutes north of Dallas. Of course, he was happy to comply.

  He hoped the answer to why she wanted to meet would be written on a piece of paper that contained a dollar sign followed by a lot of numbers.

  Rob stood when the petite, elderly woman entered the dining room at Bistro St. Germaine.

  Right on time.

  She wore a fitted black suit with a red blouse and sturdy-looking heels. The diamonds in her ears sparkled, as did the rock on her finger when she extended her hand to Rob.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Sherwood,” he said, accepting the proffered hand.

  “Yes, I suppose it is,” she answered.

  “So nice to see you.” Rob continued to stand as the maître d’ pulled out her chair and helped her settle into her place at the table.

  Once seated, Agnes Sherwood sat ramrod straight. She may have been small in stature, but the presence she projected and the respect she commanded was larger than life.

  She assessed him with steely ice-blue eyes, and if he didn’t know better, he might think she was actually looking down her nose at him. But that was just the way Agnes Sherwood was.

  He smiled at her and her air of frosty propriety seemed to warm a few degrees.

  “Thank you for suggesting that we meet,” he said. “It’s been far too long. How have you been?”

  She didn’t answer him. Instead, she opened the quilted handbag with the gold chain-link strap that was still in her lap and pulled out a rectangular piece of paper. A check, which she laid facedown on the white tablecloth between them.

  “I’m going to cut right to the chase,” she said. “I would like to make a donation to your Foundation to help build that children’s surgical wing on to the hospital. But first, I need you to do something for me.”

  Curiosity burned in his veins, but he knew better than to let his gaze drop from hers to the money.

  “Anything you need,” he said. “You name it, you’ve got it.”

  Agnes nodded. “Do you know Pepper Merriweather?”

  The mention of her name kicked his pulse into high gear, and for a moment he was taken back to that night in front of her house, could smell the roses and taste the sweetness of her lips. Why, suddenly, did Pepper Merriweather seem to be lurking around every corner? Obviously, with the Texas Star issue making headline and fodder for gossip, the family’s name was on most people’s lips, but why suddenly did Pepper keep coming up when he’d never even seen her in person before that night on the plane?

  “Pepper and I have met,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

  “I want you to hire her,” said Agnes. “She is in need of employment and your Foundation is in need of donations. So there you have it.”

  What the—? Hire Pepper Merriweather—?

  “Hire her to do what?” he asked.

  Agnes stared at him blankly. “I beg your pardon.”

  Rob cleared his throat. “Sorry, but I’m not sure I understand. What exactly would I be hiring Pepper Merriweather to do?”

  “To work for you.” Agnes sounded exasperated, as if it took every ounce of decorum she possessed to resist calling him an idiot. “Kate told me you’re in need of an assistant. She asked if I knew of anyone who would be qualified. Pepper would be perfect for the job.”

  Pepper Merriweather as his assistant? The image of her with her wavy blond hair and big brown eyes glancing up at him as she said goodbye to him that night after the airport—as she tried to be so assertive, yet looked so vulnerable, and had felt so wonderful in his arms—surged to the forefront of his mind.

  Fallen debutante Pepper Merriweather serving as his personal assistant? Had she ever had a real job in her life? And how likely would she be open to schlepping for someone else?

  That wasn’t a fair assumption. After all, she’d been a lot different that night than he’d ever imagined she would be. He gave himself a mental shake, reminding himself that he’d never actually imagined what Pepper was like...until recently.

  “No disrespect, ma’am, but why are you asking for this job on her behalf? Why isn’t she here herself?”

  Agnes frowned. She tilted her head back, a different method of looking down her aquiline nose. He’d never seen anyone actually do that before.

  “I’m here because I’m the one with the check. That’s why.”

  That much was true. She was the one with the money. And she came with a big, bad reputation of beating people to a pulp with her well-endowed pocketbook. But...

  Wait—

  “Does Pepper know that you’re here on her behalf?”

  “No. As a matter of fact, she does not.” She reached out and toyed with the edge of the check. “I hope you will be discreet.”

  What was he supposed to say to that?

  Again, the image of Pepper’s beautiful face commandeered his thoughts.

  Still toying with the check, Agnes softened her words. “I’m sure you’ve heard that the Merriweather family has fallen on hard times.”

  Rob nodded. “That’s an unfortunate situation. But from what I understand, Pepper didn’t work for Texas Star. So I would imagine she shouldn’t have trouble finding employment for herself, if she tried. That is, if she even needs it.”

  Agnes chuckled the forced tolerance of someone in the know. “The majority of people in this town won’t even speak to her, much less hire her. This unfortunate situation with her father has cost her opportunities. And, sadly, her trust was connected to Texas Star—something with the way it was taxed. But that’s none of our business. Are you aware that she had been cast on that reality television show Catering to Dallas, along with my granddaughter, AJ Sherwood-Antonelli? AJ is the chef and owner of Celebrations, Inc., Catering. She and Pepper have been friends since primary school. Pepper is like a granddaughter to me. So naturally I wanted to help her help herself.”

  Rob nodded. Now Agnes’s concern for Pepper was beginning to make sense. He had heard something about the television show that was being filmed locally, but since he didn’t watch reality TV, it had flown under his radar.

  “My granddaughter informed me that because of Pepper’s family situation, she has been forced off the show. There was a short blurb about it in the latest issue of the Dallas Journal of Business and Development. Did you see it?”

  He shook his head. Strange, he’d read all the feature stories in the paper. How did he miss it?

  “Which section was it in?”

  Agnes rolled her eyes. “It was in that little gossip column they run. You probably don’t read that section. The only reason I know about this is because my granddaughter pointed it out. Anyhow, now she needs a job. That’s where you come in.”

  She reached out and flipped over the check. “After you hire her I will give your Foundation this check for five hundred thousand dollars.”

  What the hell? Was this woman really trying to bribe him into hiring Pepper Merriweather with a Foundation donation? He knew Agnes took no prisoners when it came to issues she was passionate about, but did she really think she could manipulate him?

  On one hand, the reality that she was backing him into a corner really ir
ked him. On the other hand, five hundred thousand dollars was a big chunk of change towards the financial goal for the pediatric wing. He’d be a fool to let the donation get away. It wasn’t as if she was asking him to do something illegal or as if he would benefit personally. In that regard, it would be irresponsible to let a donation of this size get away. Still, it was the principle of the matter, the way she was going about it, throwing her money at him as if she could beat him into submission, that irked him.

  “So, let me get this straight. Are you saying you will withhold support of a worthy cause that will benefit the children of this community if I don’t hire Pepper Merriweather?”

  Agnes pursed her lips. “We do what we must, Mr. Macintyre.”

  “I’ll be honest, Mrs. Sherwood. Your approach to this donation bothers me on so many levels—”

  “I beg your—”

  “Let me finish, please. One of my main concerns is that I think you’re selling Pepper Merriweather short. Why not just have her come in and interview rather than buy her way in?”

  Agnes’s ice-blue eyes flashed. “I do not buy anyone’s way, Mr. Macintyre. I expect her to use her talents and earn her own way. This is not a purchase as much as it is an endorsement. She has hit a bump in life’s road and she deserves a hand up. Once she’s gotten her footing, I am confident she will find her own way. In the meantime, I’m offering your charity an immediate opportunity to help someone in need. That good gesture will in turn benefit many more once the pediatric wing is built.”

  Her cell phone rang and she slipped it out of her bag and glanced at the screen. “Excuse me, Mr. Macintyre, I have to take this call.”

  Rob stood as Agnes excused herself from the table and walked out of earshot.

  He gave his head a shake, trying to order his thoughts and not let his pride and temper—which wanted to tell the eccentric old woman exactly what she could do with her money, pressuring him this way—get in the way of what was important.

  He drummed his fingers on the table. Think. Think.

  Sadly, he couldn’t shake the thought that he was mortified for Pepper. Sure, he’d only had one conversation with her, but his gut told him that she was quite capable of taking care of herself. But what had happened with the television show?

  He pulled his smart phone from his jacket pocket and accessed his mobile subscription of the Dallas Journal of Business and Development. He’d read this week’s edition, but as Agnes speculated, he’d skipped the Grapevine section. Gossip and hearsay didn’t interest him. When the file loaded, he cursored over to the Grapevine section.

  There was the story.

  Heiress Leaves Locally Filmed Reality TV Show

  Insiders report that after one day back on the set of the reality television show Catering to Dallas, local celebutante Pepper Merriweather has resigned from the not yet released show due to conflicts over her role in the program’s story line. Sources close to the production say she adamantly refused to talk about her father, Harris Merriweather, or his legal woes on the show. Mr. Merriweather is CEO of the recently bankrupt Texas Star Energy empire and is currently being held without bail after a judge ruled him a flight risk. Props to Pepper for taking one for the Merriweather team. Meanwhile, sources close to the family report that Marjory Merriweather, wife of Harris, is still in hiding in Europe.

  Props to Pepper for taking one for the Merriweather team indeed. At least she was loyal.

  He tucked his cell back into the breast pocket of his jacket. She had a conscience, class and a backbone, too. Exactly the type of person he’d like to have on board at Macintyre Enterprises. But would she really be open to serving as his personal assistant? And could they keep their hands off each other long enough to get any work done? Those were the burning questions.

  After Agnes returned and they’d settled back into their places, Rob asked, “Are you sure she wants a job like this? The pay is probably a fraction of what she’s used to, and I can be a demanding boss.”

  Agnes smiled victoriously. “So that means you’ll hire her?”

  Rob shook his head, more out of frustration than anything else. “Let’s start with an interview—or better yet, a résumé.”

  What would be on the résumé of a debutante like Pepper Merriweather? Finding out might make this game Agnes was playing worthwhile. And of course, there was the donation.

  “Very good,” said Agnes. “I am sure you won’t regret this, Mr. Macintyre.”

  “I hope not,” he said, fighting the sinking feeling that he would.

  Chapter Six

  Mere words couldn’t have explained how happy Pepper was when she received a call from AJ inviting her over that Sunday for a girls’ brunch. Right now, she couldn’t think of anything that would soothe her weary soul better than time with her besties, AJ, Caroline and Sydney.

  Once upon a time, they had gathered weekly, enjoying countless pitchers of Bellinis and delectable culinary delights at the granite-topped island in AJ’s kitchen. But that was before AJ and Caroline had met the loves of their lives, before they’d all been swept away by their involvement on the show Catering to Dallas, before the fall of Texas Star and Pepper’s unceremonious exit from the show had cast shadows and doubts in Pepper’s mind.

  In retrospect, she was furious with herself for believing that she could come out of hiding in St. Michel and put herself directly in the public eye without someone bringing up the big, shiny, blinged-out elephant in the room. That big, shiny elephant would be her father.

  She was usually savvier than that. But in her haste to prove to the world that the Merriweather family was fine—that her father would soon be vindicated—she had lost sight of the harsh realities of the cold, cruel world.

  Pepper adjusted her gloved hand on the handles of the big brown paper bag full of boxes of Maya’s chocolate from St. Michel and knocked on the glossy, red front door of AJ’s modest bungalow.

  AJ had hung a festive holly wreath festooned with red berries that matched the color of the door and gold organza ribbon that swayed when the cold wind blew. There were clusters of gorgeous red and white poinsettias on the porch. The scene made Pepper want to hum “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” But she didn’t, because with her father in jail and her mother in St. Michel, the last thing she wanted to think about was spending Christmas alone.

  Earlier that day, Ethan Webster, her father’s attorney, had relayed the heartbreaking message that her dad did not want to see her. The only explanation the lawyer provided was that her father had not listed any names on his visitation list and he had indicated that he didn’t plan on receiving any visitors for the foreseeable future.

  “Try to empathize, Ms. Merriweather,” Webster had said. “Your father is a very proud man and he probably doesn’t want his wife and daughter to see him this way.”

  Hours after they spoke, Webster’s words still rang hollow and cold, numbing her, even as she reasoned with herself: her father had never been very good at thinking of others. It had always been business first. Really, there was no room for anything to come second. Especially not family. Especially not after Carson’s accident.

  The memory of her twin brother made the numbness go away. It was edged out by a low-grade ache that started in her soul and radiated outward, reminding her that the accident was her fault, and she would always bear that burden.

  So why should it come as a surprise that her father didn’t want to see her?

  Moments like this left her two choices: she could either curl up in a fetal position or she could flip the switch on these memories that no penance could ever set right.

  She sucked in a breath, steeled herself and noted the absence of her friends’ cars. That probably meant she was the first one to arrive. It was the first time she’d be seeing everyone since she’d made the decision to leave the show. Butterflies swooped i
n her belly...the sensation was a far cry better than numbness. Or the ache. She blinked away the thought, refocusing on how she and the girls had talked on the phone, and how each one had been heartbreakingly supportive of her and outraged that she’d been backed into a corner that had left her no choice but to resign from the show. Still, she felt a pang of...of what? Nerves? Apprehension? Envy?

  After all, the four of them had been in this business together from day one, when they’d founded and funded Celebrations, Inc., Catering, allowing AJ, a top-notch chef, to realize her dreams of breaking out of the restaurant sous-chef mire and running her own kitchen. They’d each played a role in getting the restaurant off the ground: AJ had been the chef and culinary creative force; by trade, Caroline had been a financial analyst, but at heart she was a frustrated pastry chef—and she’d left the boring world of accounting and come on full-time at the catering company to realize her sweet dreams; Sydney had initially moonlighted as Celebrations, Inc.’s very part-time marketing and public relations guru until she was laid off from Texas Star, right before its big crash, now she was with Celebrations, Inc., full-time. And Pepper had been—what she liked to refer to herself as—the social connector. Working with Sydney, she’d used her social connections to steer business to the catering company.

  Then of course they’d had the great fortune to land the Catering to Dallas television show when the Epicurean Traveler Network decided to launch a series about the catering industry in the Dallas area. The show was a coup, which promised to put the fledgling company on the map.

  Everything seemed to be looking up for the four of them. Until Texas Star exploded and blew everything sky-high.

  As Pepper waited for AJ to answer the door, she realized the demise of Texas Star had made her three friends bigger assets to Celebrations, Inc. But Pepper was a liability because of her last name, which was directly associated with the financial scandal.