Sugar Daddy (Travis Family #1)(106)

"He wouldn't want me to tell you," Churchill said. "But I think you need to know. There have been some last-minute problems on the Medina deal."

"Oh. no," I said in concern, knowing how important it was to Gage's company. "What happened?"

"Security leak in the negotiations process. No one was supposed to know the deal was going on—in fact, everyone at the table had signed a nondisclosure agreement. But somehow your friend Hardy Gates found out what was in the works. He took the information to Medina's biggest supplier, Victory Petroleum, who is now putting pressure on Medina to kill the whole deal."

All the air seemed to leave my lungs at once. I couldn't believe it. "My God, it was me," I said numbly. "I mentioned the negotiations to Hardy. I didn't know it was top secret. I had no idea he'd do something like this. I've got to call Gage and tell him what I did. that I didn't mean to—"

"He's already figured it out, sugar."

"Gage knows I'm the leak? But—" I broke off, turning cold with panic. Gage must have known last night. And yet he hadn't said anything. I felt nauseous. I buried my face in my hands, my voice filtering through the cage of my stiff fingers. "What can I do? How can I

make this right?"

"Gage is taking care of damage control," Churchill said. "He's cooling things down at Medina this morning, and later today he'll pull his team at Research Triangle together to deal with the issues that were raised about the biofuel. Don't worry, sugar. It'll all work out."

"I need to do something. I...Churchill, will you help me?"

"Always," he said without hesitation. "You name it."

CHAPTER 25

The sensible thing would have been to wait for Gage to come back to Texas. But in light of the fact that he'd tolerated more than a few blows to his pride and an even bigger blow to an important business deal, all for my sake, I knew it was no time to be sensible. As Churchill says, sometimes grand gestures are called for.

I made one stop on the way to the airport, at Hardy's downtown office. It was located on Fannin in a towering aluminum and glass building with two halves that locked together like two giant puzzle pieces. The receptionist was a predictably attractive blond woman with a smoky voice and great legs. She showed me in to Hardy's office as soon as I arrived.

He was dressed in a dark Brooks Brothers suit and a vivid blue tie the exact shade of his eyes. He looked confident, sharp, a man who was going places.

I told Hardy about my conversation with Churchill, and what I'd learned about his part in trying to ruin the Medina deal. "I don't understand how you could have done such a

thing," I said. "I would never have expected it from you."

He looked unrepentant. "It's just business, honey. Sometimes you have to get a little dirt on your hands."

Some dirt doesn 't wash off I thought of saying. But I knew he would have to find that out for himself someday. "You used me to hurt him. You figured it would break us up, and on top of that, it would put Victory Petroleum in the position of owing you a favor. You'd do just about anything to succeed, wouldn't you?"

"I'll do what has to be done," he said, his face smooth. "I'll be damned if I'll apologize for wanting to get ahead."

My anger drained away; and I stared at him compassionately. "You don't have to apologize. Hardy. I understand. I remember all those things we needed and wanted and could never have. It's just.. .it's not going to work for you and me."

His voice was very soft. "You think I can't love you. Liberty'?"

I bit my lip and shook my head. "I think you loved me once. But even then it wasn't enough. Do you want to know something?...Gage didn't tell me about what you'd done, even though he had the perfect opportunity. Because he wasn't going to let you drive a wedge between us. He forgave me without being asked, without even letting me know I'd betrayed him. That's love, Hardy."

"Ah, honey..." Hardy took my hand, lifted it, and kissed the inside of my wrist, at the tiny whisk of blue veins beneath the skin. "One lost deal doesn't mean shit to him. He's had it all since the day he was born. If he'd been in my shoes, he'd have done the same thing."

"No. he wouldn't have." I pulled away from him. "Gage wouldn't use me for any price."

"Everyone has a price."

Our gazes met. It seemed an entire conversation took place in that one glance. Each of us saw what we needed to know.

"I have to say goodbye now, Hardy."

He stared at me with bitter understanding. We both knew there was no room in this for friendship. Nothing left but childhood history.

"Hell." Hardy caught my face in his hands, kissing my forehead, my closed eyelids, stopping just short of my mouth. And then I was wrapped in one of those hard, secure hugs I remembered so well. Still holding me, Hardy whispered in my ear. "Be happy, honey. No one deserves it more. But don't forget... I'm keeping one little piece of your heart for myself. And if you ever want it back.. .you know where to find it."

Having never been airborne before, I white-knuckled it all the way to Raleigh Durham. I sat in first class next to a very nice guy in a business suit, who talked me through the takeoff and landing, and ordered me a whiskey sour during the flight. As we deboarded. he asked if he could have my number, and I shook my head. "Sorry. I'm taken."