Naughty But Nice by Donna Kauffman

Author:Donna Kauffman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2011-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

7

He was going completely off the rails. Telling her things he’d agreed with Lionel not to speak of, ever, if possible. Griffin hadn’t agreed with that decision, but he hadn’t had the final say. Lionel understood his town, his company, his people, a hell of a lot better than Griffin did, so he hadn’t fought him on it. But he knew secrecy had been the wrong way to go.

He wasn’t sure he could trust Melody not to say anything, at least until he’d had time to talk to Lionel. He wanted to believe he could trust her. But she’d had a day to get to know him. And a lifetime to know her hometown. He knew who was going to win that showdown, every time.

“I need to talk to him—Lionel,” Griffin said, “so if you could just give me that time before rounding up—”

“I’m not going to say anything.”

He leaned back slightly, eyebrows raised. “I appreciate that. I don’t know how long I’ll need, but I’ll tell you as soon—”

“No, I mean, I’m not going to say anything, ever.”

He frowned. “Didn’t you just get done telling me— quite convincingly, I might add, that you’d fight me on this no matter what?”

“I did. And I’m glad you told me, glad you understood why it was so important to me. But you have a point, too, about not panicking anyone. That won’t do you or them any good. Not if the company is in as bad shape as you say. If people panic and leave, look for work elsewhere, or start the great migration that has crushed so many of the small towns out this way, Hamilton won’t be able to rebound. As it stands, you have the support of the majority, at least if the gathering today was any indication. I meant what I said about trusting us, too, and I still believe everyone should know what’s going on. You will need to tell them at some point, when the timing is best for both sides, but that will be your decision. Or Lionel’s. Not mine.”

He continued to study her. “You were all ready to take up the crusade earlier today, and now you’re surrendering the field completely?”

“I didn’t say I liked it,” she said quietly and he saw the pain behind her seemingly casual declaration. “But I have no actual cause to fight for. You’ve made that abundantly clear. I’m not big on wasting my time. So . . . I’ll have to . . . accept that I can’t change this. I don’t know what your plan will end up meaning to me. What it will change for me. Knowing it’s a fait accompli helps somewhat. I’m glad you told me. It gives me some time.”

“Time?”

“To figure things out. Make choices.”

“What choices?” he asked. “You realize, don’t you, that the resort will almost certainly boost your particular niche business? With our plans for global partnerships, the world will be your oyster. You’re only limited by how big you dream.”

“Bigger isn’t better for everyone, Griffin,” she said gently.

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