“I’m afraid nothing can take the heat from you today,” he said doubtfully, holding her at arm’s length. “After all, you haven’t been home in over three years, and you dress like a hippie.” He looked meaningfully down at her extra-large t-shirt and dirty linen pants. “At least you got rid of the nose ring. She’ll be happy about that.”
“It was always giving me problems at airport security,” she explained. “And better a hippie than an asshole like you, if the newspapers and internet are to be believed.”
The fact that she hadn’t set foot on American soil for several years didn’t mean that she hadn’t kept in touch with her brother…or hadn’t set up a Google Alert for his name. Gareth Clark was mentioned frequently online, usually connected to not-very-nice words.
Gareth waved her off and sauntered into the kitchen. “I’m not an asshole. Well, not most of the time. But, if you want to survive as a businessman in L.A., you have to be tough sometimes. You’ll discover that soon enough.”
Oh, she’d known it for years and developed a different kind of toughness. Her brother would go on the offensive and she’d retreated and patched her walls.
“Gareth, one could almost call that cynical.”
He shook his head. “Not almost.”
Penny sighed in mock drama. “What happened to that sweet little brat who deliberately caught the measles so his wonderful sister wouldn’t have to suffer alone?”
“He grew up,” her brother said absently.
She didn’t believe that. She knew he was still in there somewhere, behind the facade of indifference and the coolly raised eyebrows that seemed to be part of his personality now, that were visible in every recent photo. But that was okay. He was probably better off knowing that most people only knewGareth Clark as a lawyer whom they didn’t want on the opposing side and…
Suddenly, a muffled sound came from the bathroom as if someone had sat on the toilet in annoyance. She jumped. She had almost forgotten that she was hiding a half-naked hockey player in her bathroom.
“Gareth, do you want to go out for breakfast?” she asked hastily. “I’ll take a quick shower, dress, and meet you outside, and then we can catch up?”
Anything that took place outside this apartment was good.
He grimaced. “There’s nothing I’d rather do, but I have to fire someone, and I have a meeting with Jack West. There’s something wrong with his paperwork that should have been dealt with long ago. A signature is wrong or something. I don’t know.”
Penny winced at the name and licked her suddenly dry lips. “Jack…who?” she asked, clearly confused.
“New addition to the Hawks,” her brother explained, waving it off. “You’ll get to know the players soon enough.”
Yes, some sooner than expected.
“They’re all really fine. They won’t have a problem with a woman becoming part owner. They’re just all a bit unsure and nervous at the moment because the team’s future is up in the air and they’re working hard to make the playoffs.”
“Aha,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “Well, hopefully tonight, Dad will finally tell us what’s going on with the team. Do you truly believe we can share ownership?”
He let out a gust of air and stroked his hair. “I don’t know. Dad was extremely cryptic. Just said I should send you the documents so you could read up on them. That’s it.” He shrugged.
“I didn’t miss that,” she murmured. “Our parents, making plans for us without informing us.”
“Nope. But I’m glad you’re here. Maybe now Mom will finally leave me alone.”
She rolled her eyes. “Alone with what? Telling you what an angelic smile you have and how beautifully your hair shines?”
Gareth grinned broadly. “Yeah. Being the center of her attention is exhausting.”
“Try being her only point of criticism.”
“Oh, come on, she’ll just be happy to see you.”
She gave him a dark look. “Just like Dad won’t mention tonight that you didn’t top the state in your exams?” she asked pointedly.
Gareth grimaced. “I was fucking number two!”
“I know, Gare.”
“Oh, whatever. I’ll defend you and you defend me. Like old times.”
