Chapter 6

Dressed in leggings and an oversize sweatshirt, Piper took her frustration from the unexpected phone call out on the weeds that were growing in a small planter on the side of her house.

Kit sat a few feet away, a massive bone set between his paws, his jaws making good time with whatever was tasty on the thing.

Her small vegetable garden had all gone to seed over the winter and had a huge amount of neglect calling her name. The pail she used to dump the weeds quickly filled, which meant frequent trips to the bigger garbage can. She considered digging up everything, but there were a few volunteer vegetables peeking through the mess, which made her take the extra time to be selective with what she tore out.

Besides, the work had calmed her down.

It was incredibly frustrating to be angry at a dead man.

Part of her really wanted to feel sorry about the situation. That would be the part of her that was raised by two midwestern parents that dragged her to church every Sunday of her life growing up. The other bits of her, though . . . they wanted to scream that karma was a bitch.

The sound of a car rolling down the driveway caught her attention.

It sounded bigger than the old Buick Mr. Armstrong drove, which probably meant it was a delivery truck. They made the mistake of driving onto the property all the time, not realizing that there was no way to turn around. And most were not as proficient as they believed they were in backing up all the way without running over a sprinkler or the lawn.

Piper pushed to her feet and slapped her gloved hands together to remove a layer of dirt.

Kit stopped chewing and looked up.

“Stay here,” she told him with a point of a finger.

He got to his feet and then sat where he’d been told to hang out.

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to try and chase off the delivery guy, Piper made her way around the house and opened the side gate.

Expecting to see a big brown truck or one in blue with a light blue smile, she was shocked to see a double-cab truck with a man in a business suit stepping out of it.

He grabbed papers from the inside of the truck before walking toward her front door.

All Piper could see was a solicitor, one ballsy enough to drive on her narrow driveway, right past the “No Solicitors” signs Mr. Armstrong posted everywhere.

“Can I help you?” She made herself known and, at the same time, opened the side gate wider and signaled to Kit to come.

For a big dog, he was at Piper’s side before the man could respond.

He stopped and looked over at her.

“Miss Maddox?”

The hair on her neck stood up. How did he know her name? And why did he look familiar?

“Whatever you have to sell, I’m not interested,” she told him.

A low noise came from somewhere deep inside of Kit.

The man took notice of her dog.

“I’m not here to sell you anything.”

On closer inspection, he looked nothing like the average day solicitor. The truck was newish, and the suit wasn’t your everyday variety, but more likely higher-end threads that weren’t bought off the rack. His short brown hair had a little wave. He had a strong jaw, with a bit of a frown covering his face.

“We spoke on the phone earlier.” His eyes left Kit and moved to her. “I’m Chase Stone.”

And then it all clicked.

Yes, the face was the same one she’d seen on the news . . . minus the sunglasses.

“What are you doing here?”

The edge in her voice prompted Kit to growl.

Piper removed her garden gloves and motioned for Kit to hold his position.

“Does that dog bite?”

“Only when I tell him to. I said all I need to say on the phone.”

“You hung up and didn’t give me a chance to explain.”

“So you drove all the way here to do that?” she asked.

“Face-to-face conversations are better than those over the phone.” He tapped the folder in his hand against his leg. “Just a few minutes of your time.”

She considered turning him away but heard her mother’s voice in her head telling her it never hurt to know your options.

“Piper? You okay out there?”

She looked past Chase and saw her neighbor standing at his back door, watching them.

Her voice softened. “I’m fine, Mr. Armstrong. Thanks for checking.” Piper sighed and started toward her door, signaling Kit to follow.

She opened the screen and held it. “Come on in.” She’d listen to the guy, but she wasn’t about to offer him coffee or tea.

Chase hesitated as he walked through the threshold, his eyes on Kit. “You sure?”

Piper pointed a couple of feet away. “Kitty, sit.” The dog moved with a whine as he followed her command.

“Kitty? That dog’s name is Kitty?”

“Don’t let it fool you.” Piper motioned toward her sofa and then moved to the armchair next to her dog.

Chase pushed aside his suit jacket and sat. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. The only reason you’re sitting here is because Mr. Armstrong is almost as protective as my dog. He knows I’ve been upset. You can tell by his age that he doesn’t need to be worried about anything but himself.”

“I’ll be sure and thank him,” Chase said with a sigh.

Piper looked at the papers in his hand. “What is that?”

He handed it to her. “Your HR file.”

She opened it, saw the termination paperwork that she’d seen when they let her go, and felt her blood boil for the second time that day. The next page was new. She pulled it out and read it to herself.

It was the equivalent of a write-up. It stated that she had missed several deadlines and was exhibiting a bad attitude. Not only was the information crap, the entire write-up was bogus. The signature on the bottom, the one that should have been hers, wasn’t. “This is simply a lie.” She waved the paper in her hand. “I’ve never seen this. That isn’t my signature.”

“Did you read the back?” Chase asked.

She turned it over.

Written in Aaron Stone’s handwriting, it stated:

Miss Maddox has made a handful of suggestive comments over the past couple of months that we should spend time outside of work together. When I turned her down, her performance as my assistant started to waver. I’m hoping this formal warning changes her behavior.

She squeezed her fist around the paper. “Suggestive comments,” she whispered under her breath.

“I’m guessing that was a fabrication,” Chase said.

“More like projection. And clearly, since he managed to slip this in my file, he was concerned I’d come back and point a finger at him.”

“Was that why you were fired? You rejected him?”

“Repeatedly.”

“Why didn’t you go to HR?”

Piper stared him down. Was he that naive? “Accuse your billionaire CEO boss of sexual misconduct, and you’ll never have another billionaire boss to worry about again. You’ll be starting from scratch in the mail room or, worse, a go-nowhere start-up that can’t afford to pay you. No thanks.”

“What did you do as my father’s assistant?”

She rolled her eyes. “Everything. There wasn’t a paper that passed his desk that I didn’t have knowledge of. I knew his schedule better than he did. Meetings, the players at the meetings. I sat behind him when the board met, taking notes and shoveling him information if he needed facts he didn’t remember. Not to mention sending I’m sorry flowers to his wife, and it was nice to meet you flowers to the women that caused him to send the I’m sorry flowers.”

“You managed his personal life?”

She nodded. “The first few months on the job, I thought every assistant had that role. It wasn’t until I became friends with the others that I realized your dad pushed the boundaries with my job description. Not that I pushed back.”

Chase rubbed his jaw as he clearly thought something over in his head. “Did you like your job?”

“When I wasn’t slapping your dad’s hands off my butt . . . yes.”

Chase’s lips fell in a thin line. “Do you want it back? Minus the butt slapping,” he quickly added.

Piper lifted her chin. “Why?”

He sat forward and folded his hands together. “The first reason is practical. My sister, Alexandrea, and I will be sharing the responsibility of taking over our father’s position. Since he didn’t bother with mentoring either of us on what he did to run Stone Enterprises before his death, we’re coming in blind. We need to know what’s going on, and we need to trust the person shoveling us the information. That would be you.”

Piper felt her stance on saying no to his offer wane. Finding another executive secretary position wasn’t the easiest task, and God knew she needed the money now more than ever.

“What was your second reason?” she asked.

“You might be the only person in that office that doesn’t feel the need to kiss my ass or my sister’s. When people are sucking up to you, you have to wonder what their motive is. You don’t have one. I’m asking you to return, you didn’t come to me.”

Maybe this would work. “I won’t kiss your ass.”

His lips finally started to move into a grin. “I wouldn’t ask you to. And Alex is the nice one, she won’t either.”

Two bosses, one job . . . and they needed her. “I have conditions.”

His eyes lit up. “I’m listening.”

“I want a raise.”

“Fine.”

“And a bonus for the weeks I’ve been out of a job.”

“Sounds reasonable.” He was smiling now, and with it, Piper felt her chest tighten. Chase Stone was a hell of a lot easier to look at than his father had been.

“If it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you don’t like me, I don’t like you . . . I get high letters of recommendation and this crap . . .” She waved the still-wadded-up paper she’d pulled from the HR folder in the air. “Goes away.”

“Consider it done.” Chase slapped his hands on his knees and stood. He took a step her way, and Kit immediately jumped to his feet and stood in front of her with a growl.

Chase pulled back.

“Kit!”

“Is he always so friendly?”

“He’s been protective lately.” She motioned for her dog to stand down, but that didn’t stop Kit from giving Chase the death stare.

Chase put his hand out . . . slowly.

Piper put her hand in his, felt the warmth of his handshake.

“Thank you,” he said.

She met his gaze. “You’re welcome.”

He smiled and let her hand go.

His eyes lingered.

Eyes that were nothing like his father’s. It was then a twinge of guilt for talking ill of the dead man to his son slapped her upside the head. She’d been raised better than that, and if her parents were there, they’d remind her. “It can’t be easy hearing negative things about your father so close to his passing. I am sorry . . . for your loss.”

Chase physically winced and tilted his head. “Are you?”

Good manners and telling the truth collided in her head like a war between good and evil. “No,” she squeezed out. “I mean, yes. He was your dad.”

“He’s been gone a long time for me, Miss Maddox.”

That was even more sad, in her eyes.

She walked toward the door and opened it.

Chase stopped just outside, and she handed him the HR file, including the crinkled-up lies.

“You can keep this one,” he handed her the wad of paper. “We won’t be needing it.”

She took it and crushed it even more. “I’ll be in tomorrow morning.”

He smiled. “I do have one request of you.”

“Okay.”

“Whatever Alex and I discuss with you, it stays with the three of us.”

“Collaborating with the other office staff is—”

“I’m not talking about the work . . . well, unless there is something that requires confidentiality. I’m talking about the personal life of my father. The media would love to hang some juicy gossip on any of the facts they learn. That kind of stuff distracts the players and employees . . . makes people nervous. I don’t want anyone thinking they’re losing their job because Aaron Stone died.”

“I can do that.”

He offered a nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Piper smiled as she watched him climb into his truck.

Back in the house, she walked into her bathroom to wash her hands and glanced in the mirror.

There, on her forehead, was a smudge of dirt that went all the way across her brow. Her hair was a mess, and she was as pale as a ghost.

“Great first impression, Piper,” she said to her reflection in the mirror.

Not that it mattered, she had her job back.

With a raise.

It was time to celebrate.

“How was it?” Alex asked over the phone as Chase drove home through LA traffic.

“No one knew I was coming. It’s safe to assume there isn’t a pipeline from Cadry to the office executives. Gatlin, the VP, thought he was going to take over . . . wasn’t too happy to see me, and equally surprised that you are coming on board.”

“How unhappy?”

“I think he was more annoyed than he let on. Time will tell. We should have the current financial stats tomorrow. And I rehired our secretary.”

“Rehired? Did she quit after Dad died?”

“No. Dad fired her. Accused her of coming on to him.”

Alex flat out laughed. “Let me guess, she’s young and beautiful and didn’t accept his advances.”

Chase found a smile on his face as he envisioned Piper Maddox. Dirt smudged on her forehead with a rottweiler snapping at her side. Her fierce expression when she’d thought he was a solicitor made the garden makeup look like war paint. Even through all of that, Chase took close notice of her high cheekbones and hazel eyes that seemed to have a hint of gold in them. Five five at most, but she held herself as if she were six feet tall. Confident in her convictions and honest despite who she was talking to.

“Chase, did I lose you?”

Chase blinked a few times. “Sorry, yeah, she’s all that. She also managed a lot of Dad’s affairs . . . his personal affairs.”

“That’s gross.”

“True, but we can use that to our advantage. She may know something about this brother of ours . . . or the mother.”

“Oh! Good point,” Alex said.

“How did your boss take it when you told him the news?”

Chase heard his sister groan. “I’m delusional if I think I can keep my job after so much as setting foot in Stone Enterprises. And even if I don’t, everyone is watching me.”

“You can’t blame them.”

“I know. It’s a lot to adjust to.”

Traffic slowly picked up to a whole thirty miles per hour, giving Chase a little hope that he’d be home within the hour. “I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of sympathy from anyone. We both became billionaires overnight.”

Her next moan made Chase laugh.

“Did you know that the richer a woman is, the more her romantic prospects decrease?”

“That can’t be true.”

“Oh yeah? When was the last time you slept with a woman that made more money than you?” Alex asked.

“I don’t think I should be talking to my sister about sex.”

“Just answer the question, Chase.”

Red lights glared as traffic slowed . . . again. He ran through the list of women . . . “I don’t know,” he said.

“The answer is never. You’ve never done the nasty with a CEO of her own shit.”

Alex wasn’t wrong.

“Since when are you worried about your next date? You never bring anyone around.”

“Which proves my point,” she shouted. “Just the link with the family name intimidates men. Even without the money. Or they’d see a golden ticket, and baby this and baby that, then realize I don’t have that kind of bank account, and they split.”

“So don’t tell them.”

She scoffed. “Have you googled your name this week? Our names, pictures, and profiles are everywhere just with the speculation of our inheritance. When the news breaks with the facts, you’d have to be living in a cave to avoid knowing who we are.”

“I think you’re overreacting. Besides, who googles their dates?” Traffic picked up once again.

“You don’t?” she asked.

“No. You do?”

“Every time. Background checks, social media, school records to make sure they aren’t lying about their education.”

“Jesus, Alex . . . it’s dinner and drinks, not an interview for an employee.”

“Nice male perspective there, brother.”

Chase reflected on her words. “Oh.”

“It’s going to make it harder, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Since when are you looking for a boyfriend anyway?”

“I’m not. I’m just bitching, and since you’re the only one that can possibly understand, I’m crying to you.” When she stopped talking, she started to laugh. With that laugh, Chase found himself chuckling along with her.

“You need more girlfriends.”

“I know!”

Chase laughed harder. When they both settled down, he asked, “Are you coming in tomorrow?”

“Yeah, in the afternoon. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a box with all of my personal stuff on my desk waiting for me at Regent.”

“Did they say that?”

“It was implied. Along with a reminder of confidentiality.”

That was amusing. “Confidentiality to who? There isn’t anyone higher on the food chain at Stone Enterprises than the two of us.”

“Exactly. I guess a visit with the corporate lawyers is due sooner than later to make sure I don’t inadvertently do something that gives Regent a reason to sue.”

“That’s smart.”

“I know.”

Chase shook his head, smiling. He loved his sister, respected the hell out of her. And even though he wasn’t entirely comfortable talking with her about the men in her life, he would rather know who was around so he could step in if needed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

Chase disconnected the call and hit the brakes as traffic came to a crushing halt.