He nodded. “Really.” After a moment of chitchat about the weather, Jonathan stood. “You’ll have to excuse us, Dad. Lisette and I have a few things to wrap up before she goes home.”

“Of course. Besides, I’ve got to make sure the housekeeper has all the food ready. The boys are coming over for poker at six.”

The “boys” were all Gerald’s age. Jonathan was happy to see his father pursuing social interests. Both Mazie and Jonathan had been encouraging him to get out of the house more. He’d been depressed over the winter, but things were improving.

Lisette followed Jonathan back to the offices. “I took care of everything you sent me so far. Is there anything else you need today? If not, I’ll see you downtown in the morning.”

Jonathan stared at her intently, allowing his customary reserve to dissolve for a moment. Lisette was everything he liked in a woman and more. Beautiful, insightful, funny. And subtly sexy in a way some men might miss. Was he hatching this plan to save his family’s business, or was his libido steering the ship?

He was about to find out.

Two

Jonathan knew this was an opening he couldn’t pass up. But he had no idea how Lisette would react. He’d never felt uncomfortable around her before today. Then again, he’d never faced the prospect of shifting their relationship to a different footing.

She was the one person outside his small family circle whom he trusted completely. Not only with his secrets but with the future of his company and his personal legacy.

In order for such a fledgling plan to work, Lisette would have to be personally invested in what he was about to propose. She would have to be confident in her power and autonomy.

His burgeoning idea was a lot to dump on a woman. He would have to ease into it.

Maybe this was a stupid idea.

Lisette eyed him with curiosity in her gaze. Perhaps he wasn’t as stoic as he had hoped. Or as guarded.

“I need to speak to you,” he said carefully. “But not here. And it’s not about work. Or at least not entirely.”

Now her curiosity turned to confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Jonathan felt his neck heat. “If you would feel more comfortable, I could ask someone from HR to sit in on this conversation.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you firing me?”

He gaped. “God, no. Are you insane? Why would I fire the best employee I’ve ever had?”

“Then what is this about?”

Jonathan swallowed. “Will you come to dinner with me?” he asked quietly. “We’ll drive up the coast. Where we won’t be seen. The matter I want to discuss with you is sensitive. I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness, though, so feel free to say no.”

Lisette shook her head slowly, her expression wry. “I’ve known you for a very long time, Jonathan. Dinner is fine. And we don’t need a chaperone. Clearly, whatever you have to say is important. I’m happy to listen.”

“Thank you.”

She glanced down at her khaki skirt and sleeveless top. “Is what I’m wearing okay?”

He nodded slowly. “We might even take a picnic instead of going to a restaurant.” There would be more privacy that way. No chance of anyone overhearing the conversation.

Though Lisette was clearly flustered, she didn’t quibble over the plan. “I’m ready whenever you are. Do I need to drive?” she asked. “Because of the meds you took?”

“No. Not this time. I would never do anything to endanger you.”

After quick goodbyes to Gerald, they exited the house. Jonathan tossed a couple of beach chairs into the back of the SUV. Being in the car together was definitely awkward. Her body language said she was uncertain of his intentions.

It didn’t help that he was not big on small talk.

As he drove up the coast, he formulated a plan. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into a small fishing town and parked near a shed adjacent to the pier. This particular spot was more popular with locals than tourists. They ordered two shrimp baskets with large lemonades and took it to go.

Lisette teased him. “I pegged you as more of a beer than lemonade guy.”

He shrugged. “Can’t drink with the headache meds.”

She winced. “Ah. Of course. Sorry.”

Jonathan remembered a stretch of beach that was not particularly crowded. And this was the time of day that families headed inside to shower and clean up for dinner. As he suspected, there was plenty of open sand to be alone.

He carried the chairs. Lisette brought the food and drinks. The tide was headed out, so they picked a spot near a tidal pool and set up camp.

A light breeze blew in from the water. The sea was gunmetal gray, the sky streaked with golds and pinks, though sunset was a couple of hours away. Neither of them spoke as they opened their bags of food.

Jonathan sat back with a sigh. He’d lived near Charleston his entire life. The water was a part of him. The sand. The steady inexorable pull of the tides. Why did he spend so much time inside working?

It was human nature, he supposed, to take things for granted. After all, the sea would always be there. What had never occurred to him was that he wouldn’t. He was measuring his life in months now, not years. Soon the parameters would be smaller than that. Weeks. Days.

Choking anger swelled in his chest. He didn’t want to die. It wasn’t fair. He felt as if he had only begun to live. But if he had to go, he wanted Lisette to protect his reputation and everything he had worked so hard to build.

Beside him, she ate her meal in silence, her gaze trained on the horizon. What was she thinking?

He had to speak his piece. But how? Even now, the words seemed ridiculous. Overly dramatic. By the way, I’m living on borrowed time. Thought you should know.

Part of him wanted to take off running down the beach and never stop. Perhaps if he ran fast enough and far enough, the grim reaper couldn’t keep up. Perhaps this was all a bad dream.

Lisette leaned forward and set her cup in the sand, twisting it until it stayed upright. She tucked her trash in the bag and sat back, eyes closed. “That was lovely,” she said. “I should have dinner at the beach every day.”

“Not a bad idea.”

The silence built between them, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The ocean lulled their senses, washing away the stresses of the day.

Lisette reached out one leg and dabbled the tip of her sandal in the tidal pool, not looking at him. “So what’s this big secret? Talk to me, Jonathan.”

His stomach clenched. His jaw tightened. “I have a brain tumor,” he said flatly. “Inoperable. Terminal.”

* * *

Icy disbelief swept over her body and through her veins as if she’d been doused with winter rain and left to shiver and convulse in a stark landscape. No. It couldn’t be true.

Slowly she turned to face him. Her shaking hands twisted in her lap. “Are you positive?” It was a stupid question. No one tossed around statements like that unless they were sure.

His bleak profile matched his body language as he stared at the water. “Oh, yeah.” His low laugh held no humor. “The latest test results came in this morning.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“I don’t know how long I have,” he said. “And I don’t know what to expect. Which is why I’m having this conversation with you. I don’t want to tell my family yet. I thought you could be an impartial...”

He trailed off, clearly searching for a word.

“A friend? A colleague?” The impossibility of what he was asking staggered her.

“You’re more than that,” he said huskily. “I trust you implicitly. I want to give you the authority to step in and make decisions if I’m having a bad day. I realize this is asking a lot of you, but I’ll change your title and compensate you accordingly.”

“Shouldn’t Hartley be the one to fill this role?” She had never quite understood why he disappeared.

Jonathan’s expression turned glacial. “My brother is gone and he’s not coming back. It’s not something I can discuss with you.”

“But surely your other family members need to know. You can’t keep this a secret, Jonathan.”

“I realize that.” His fists were clenched on the arms of the chair. “But I have to find the right time. I’ll wait as long as I can.”

She wanted to argue with him. For everyone’s sake. But once Jonathan Tarleton made up his mind, you’d have better luck moving a giant boulder than changing his decision.

The enormity of what he had told her began to sink in. Her heart was raw and broken. She loved him. That’s why she had planned to leave. How could she stay with him day after day and witness the unthinkable? It would destroy her. But how could she say no when he needed her?

“I’d like to think about it overnight,” she said. “I’m not sure I feel comfortable trying to insert myself into company politics. There are a lot of people who won’t take kindly to this setup.”

“I’m the boss. What I say goes.”

“But what about the board of directors? And your father, Gerald? And what happens when you become too ill to work?”

Her throat tightened with tears, tears she couldn’t shed. He thought she was an impartial bystander. How much more wrong could he be?

“I need to walk,” she said.

“Okay.” Jonathan stood as well, shrugging out of his sport coat and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp cotton dress shirt.

They took off their shoes and headed down the beach. Jonathan matched his long stride to her shorter one, because he topped her by six inches. His chestnut hair was burnished by the setting sun. The dark brown eyes, which could be fierce or good-humored, were hidden behind sunglasses.

His arms were deeply tanned, his hands masculine.

He was a beautiful human being. It was almost impossible to imagine that vitality and charisma being snuffed out.

At last, after half an hour passed, the tension dissipated and re-formed into something else. Awareness.

At least on her part. Being with him like this was a physical pain. When had she first realized he was the one? Long before she became his assistant. The fact that he was completely out of her orbit had kept her crush in check. But working together day after day had turned her fluttery feelings into something far deeper and more real.

She not only loved him, she admired and respected him. In a world where men in power sometimes abused their positions, Jonathan Tarleton had never treated his employees, female or male, with careless disregard.

If he had any faults at all, and he surely did, the most visible was his careful aloofness. He kept to himself, never blurring the lines between his authority and those who worked for him.

That fact made today’s revelations all the more stunning.

They were walking shoulder to shoulder, so close she could have reached out and touched his hand. The beach was almost deserted now, the daylight fading rapidly as the sun kissed the water at the horizon.

Taking a deep breath, she halted and waited for him to follow suit.

He turned when he realized she had dropped back. “Time to go home?” he asked lightly.

“I’ll do it,” she said recklessly. “I’ll do what you asked.”

“I thought you needed to think it over.”

She shook her head. “You and your family have been very good to me. It’s only right that I should return the favor.”

Jonathan removed his sunglasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket. “We sent flowers and gave you time off when your mother passed.” He frowned. “It’s not the same thing at all. What I’m asking you to do is nebulous and tricky and burdensome.”

Burdensome. The word made her want to laugh, but not in a good way. Walking beside Jonathan for the next weeks and months would tax her emotional strength and her acting ability.

“I’m honored,” she said slowly, trying not to give her secrets away. “I care about you, Jonathan. You’re facing some very dark days. So, yes, I’ll help you any way I can.”

She saw his chest rise and fall. Had he been so uncertain that she would agree to his proposal?

His throat rippled as he swallowed. His gaze held a bleak acknowledgment of what he faced. “Thank you.”

The two words were little more than a croak.

Tears stung her eyes. Without overthinking it, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then she wrapped her arms around his stiff body in a brief hug. “I’m so very sorry,” she said.

He might as well have been a statue. “I have rules,” he said gruffly.

“Oh?” She shoved the hair from her face. Standing with the wind at her back made her feel disheveled.

“I won’t be coddled.” He snapped the words. “And I don’t want your pity. Understood?”

She recoiled inwardly, but she kept her expression calm. “I can live with that. But when I see that you need help, I’ll give it. So that’s my rule, I suppose. I won’t stand by and let you suffer if I can do anything about it.”

He blinked. Apparently the kiss and the hug hadn’t shocked him as much as her talking back to him with belligerence in her voice.

A tiny smile tilted the corners of his mouth. “I’ve spent most of the day thinking I’d never have anything to laugh about again. You just proved me wrong. Have I had a lioness in my midst disguised as a kitty cat all this time?”

Her face heated. “Things are about to change between us,” she said quietly. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek, barely a touch at all. “I am. I do.”

Something made her legs go all wonky. For a moment, she thought she might faint. If that was how a kiss from Jonathan affected her when he was being amused and affectionate, God help her if she ever experienced the real thing. She tried to suck in more air. “Okay then.”

Jonathan looped his arm through hers and turned them around. “It’s late,” he said. “We need to get you home.”

She would have slept in her car on the street if it had meant not ending this extraordinary interlude. His skin was warm against hers. She wanted to lean her head against his shoulder, but of course, she did not.

Something had happened here on this beach. The tides in her relationship with her boss had shifted to something far more real, more intimate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t even be glad about that change, because it meant she was losing him.

Back at the car, they dusted off their feet and used a water bottle for their impromptu cleanup. When Jonathan started the engine, he glanced sideways at her. “Dessert and coffee before we head back?”

Yes, her heart cried. Yes!

She shook her head. “It’s been a long day. I’d better not.”

“Of course.” He paused. “I think it goes without saying, but you must promise not to talk to anyone about my condition. No one. If the truth were to come out, our stock prices might plummet. Until I have a plan in place to handle the gossip and the fallout, there can’t be a whisper that anything is wrong.”

“I understand. You have my word.”

They barely spoke during the drive back. Without the beauty of the ocean and the beach to distract them, the enormity of Jonathan’s diagnosis filled her with aching compassion and raw regret. How could this be happening? It wasn’t fair. Not for him, not for his family, not for anyone.

But whoever said life was fair?

When they reached the Tarleton house, she exited the vehicle and stood beside her own car. In the unflattering glow of the security light beneath the house, Jonathan’s expression was grim, his skin sallow.

He seemed so damned brave and alone. She couldn’t leave him like this.

Rounding the car, she went to him and slid her arms around his waist. He wasn’t her boss at this moment. He was a man nearing a perilous cliff, a human being with little more than sheer grit and determination to help him face the days ahead.

At first, he was unresponsive. Maybe her emotion was only making things worse. Finally, a great shudder racked his frame. He buried his face in her hair and clung to her tightly.

Her tears wet his shirt. “I’m so sorry, Jonathan. So very sorry.”

They stood there like that for long moments. It might have been a minute or five or ten.

At last he straightened. He used his thumb to catch a tear on her lower lashes. “Don’t cry for me, Lizzy. I’d rather it be me than someone else. Hell, I probably deserve it.”

She stepped back reluctantly and stared up at him. “Don’t joke,” she said. “There’s nothing remotely funny about this situation.”

His smile was both weary and beautiful. “Isn’t that what they say? I have to laugh to keep from crying?”

“I can’t imagine you crying. You’re tough and resourceful. Very macho, in fact.”

“Is that how you see me?”

She shrugged. “You’ve been my boss. I only looked at you one way.”

“And now?”

Was this some kind of trick question?

She hesitated. “I know you’re human, Jonathan. Just like the rest of us. But I never wanted to test that theory. I’d rather think of you as a superhero than admit the truth right now.”

His wince echoed her honesty. “You and me both. This won’t be easy for me. And I’m not talking about the physical part. The prospect of not being in control scares the hell out of me.”

“I’ll be here, Jonathan. But you have to tell your family. They’ll be so hurt if you don’t and they find out another way.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ll tell them. I swear. I just need a little time to wrap my head around this.”

“Have you thought about seeing a counselor or a priest...someone like that? It might help.”

He cupped her cheek in one big palm, his touch burning her skin and sending shivers of sensation in every direction. “I have you, Lisette. That will have to do.”

Three

Lisette cried herself to sleep. And then had nightmares. Waking at dawn was a relief for half a second until the truth came rushing back with a vengeance. Jonathan was dying.

Thank God, she hadn’t turned in her resignation before he told her about his illness. He needed her. She was determined to give him all the love and care she could muster...but without letting on that she had loved him for a long time. That news would make things worse. She knew it instinctively.

The only reason he had asked for her help was because she was an outsider he could trust. So—not family.

Walking into the downtown office that morning was anticlimactic. Jonathan was on a conference call with someone in England. The entire floor was abuzz with the usual ebb and flow of projects and activities.

Lisette loved working for Tarleton Shipping. As hard as it had been to make the decision to leave, it was impossible to imagine this place without Jonathan. She pressed a hand to her stomach where nervous butterflies performed a tango.

Last night at the beach house had changed everything.

Somehow, she was supposed to carry on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but at the same time she had to monitor Jonathan’s behavior and be ready to step in whenever he needed her. She wondered if he was regretting that he had told her the truth.

Yesterday had been an extraordinarily hard time for him. Hearing news like that would rattle anyone. The fact that Lisette had shown up at his house in the wake of his crisis might have had something to do with him asking her to take on a role that was so personal and critical.

If she knew him well—and she did—it was probably best to pretend nothing had changed. It was going to be very hard not to hover and treat him like he was sick. She couldn’t help feeling responsible, especially because he was keeping his family in the dark for now.

The day spun by, entirely unremarkable in its ordinariness. People came and went. Meetings happened. Jonathan whirled from one thing to the next, barely speaking to her in the interim.

She could almost believe that last night was a dream.

Occasionally, though, she caught his eye across the room, and a connection quivered between them. The feeling of intimacy startled her. He had let her in on something intensely personal. There would be no going back from this.

She had craved a personal connection with Jonathan. But not at this price.

How was she going to face the days ahead?

On her lunch hour, her friend Rebekah coaxed her out of the building. “Let’s walk,” she said. “It’s not quite so hot today, and I’ve been wanting to try that new restaurant over near the market.”

There was nothing unusual about the situation. Still, Lisette felt Jonathan’s gaze searing her back as she exited the executive suite of offices. Did he expect her to dance attendance on him 24/7?

Rebekah called her out on her odd mood while they ate. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, frowning. “You’ve barely said a word. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lisette said. “A lot on my mind.”

Her friend’s expression softened. “I just realized. Today marks eight months since your mother died, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, hon.”

Guilt swamped Lisette. Her friend had metaphorically and literally held her hand during some very dark days. “I’m getting used to her being gone. I find new reasons to be happy every day. My mother wouldn’t have wanted me to be gloomy all the time.”

“Well, good,” Rebekah said. “Because Robbie’s friend who just moved here from Memphis wants to meet you. I thought we could go to dinner together Friday night.”

Lisette winced inwardly. Rebekah had been on her case for months to start dating. Caring for her mother and working full-time had not left any room for a social life. Now that her mother was gone and months had passed, it made sense for Lisette to get back in the game.

She was torn. The trouble was, she didn’t want to meet a string of strange guys, even though she knew her dream of marriage and a baby required some kind of change on her part. She didn’t need clubbing and dancing to be happy. The only man she wanted was Jonathan. Their new situation would give her a little piece of him. Would it be enough to justify putting her dreams on hold?

“Sure,” she said, trying hard to appreciate her friend’s enthusiasm. “That sounds great.”

The following two days passed in much the same manner, at least when it came to Jonathan’s behavior. He didn’t look sick. Aside from downing the occasional over-the-counter meds, his bronzed skin and boundless energy seemed to belie his diagnosis.

When Friday afternoon rolled around, Lisette was almost glad Jonathan was away from the office. Their new relationship made her both tense and uncertain. It was a relief to step out into the sunshine and walk to her car. She had just enough time to dash home, shower and change before she met Rebekah and the others at the restaurant.

It was a shock to run into her boss in the parking garage. He looked frazzled, but otherwise normal. “You’re leaving?” he asked.

She nodded her head. “It’s five thirty. Was there something you needed?”

His small frown took her by surprise. “I thought we might have dinner together,” he said. “To talk about how we’re going to handle this new work situation.”

She flushed, feeling the heat creep from her breasts to her hairline. “I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “I have plans.”

He seemed shocked. “A date?”

“That’s a personal question,” she snapped. His obvious surprise nicked her pride. It was true she had lived like a nun while caring for her mother. And, yes, she was five years Jonathan’s senior. But she was hardly a pariah.

His gaze darkened. “I’m sorry to have held you up,” he said, his tone stiff and formal. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”

The bleak expression in his eyes caught her heart and squeezed it hard. She was trying so desperately to protect herself, to avoid letting him hurt her, that she was forgetting the hell he was facing.

“Wait,” she said impulsively as he turned to walk away. “What about lunch at my place Sunday? I’ll cook for you.”

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