The Missing Heir

“You a stray?” Cole found himself asking.

He moved to pick up the shoes. When he straightened, the dog was watching him patiently.

“You probably want a reward for all that.”

The dog blinked.

“I don’t blame you.” Cole blew out a breath. He supposed the least he could do was buy the animal a burger.

“Come on, then.” He started down the alley toward the brightly lit street. The dog trotted at his heels.

At the front of the hotel, Cole reported the incident to one of the doormen, who sent someone to retrieve the knife. Cole learned that they’d had previous trouble with a thief impersonating a waiter at large events. If the knife had fingerprints on it, they might be able to catch the guy. It seemed likely he’d stolen more than just the shoes tonight.

Duty done, Cole and the dog then made their way down the street until they came to a fast-food restaurant.

Thinking it was a fifty-fifty shot the mutt would wait, Cole left it outside while he purchased two deluxe hamburgers. He was hungry after the fancy little portions at the pilots association event, and a burger didn’t seem like the worst idea in the world.

When he returned to the street, the dog jumped to attention. It wolfed down the burger in two bites, so Cole gave it the second one, as well.

His phone chimed, and a text message told him Luca was sending back the empty car. Luca and Destiny were stopping for a nightcap.

Cole smiled at his friend’s luck, tossed the wrappers in the trash and headed back toward the hotel. Predictably, the dog followed along. It was sure to be disappointed when a meal didn’t appear at their next stop.

Cole took the animal back to the alley at the edge of the hotel property and pointed. “Go on, now,” he told it.

It looked up at him uncomprehendingly.

“Go home,” Cole commanded.

It didn’t move.

He made his voice sterner. “Go on.”

The dog ducked its head, eyes going sad.

Cole felt a shot to his chest.

He tried to steel himself against the guilt, but the effort didn’t pay off. He crouched down in front of the dog, scratching its matted neck and meeting its eyes. “I don’t know what you expect here.”

It pushed forward, nuzzling its nose against Cole’s thigh.

“Those are rented pants,” said Cole.

It pushed farther forward.

“I live in Alaska.”

Its tail began to wag.

“Crap.”

“Mr. Parker?” The driver appeared in Cole’s peripheral vision. “Are you ready to go, sir?”

Cole stood, drawing a deep sigh. “We’re ready.”

“We?”

“The dog’s coming, too.”

The driver glanced down at the scruffy animal. He hesitated, but then said, “Of course, sir.”

“Do you have a blanket or something to protect the seat?”

“I’ll get a newspaper from the doorman.”

“That’ll work,” said Cole. He looked to the dog. “You want to go for a car ride?”

Its head lifted. Its brow went up. And its tail wagged harder.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Cole knew he was making a stupid, emotional decision, one he’d likely regret very quickly. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave the animal behind.

He closed his eyes for a long moment. All this for a pair of shoes.

Three

The next morning, Cole headed for the Hendersons’ penthouse apartment to return Amber’s shoes. He took the dog with him, thinking maybe he’d stop by the shelter on his way back and drop it off. He told himself they were in the business of finding stray animals good homes.

The dog looked much more appealing since Cole had given him a bath in the hotel’s carwash bay. He smelled better, too, considerably better. And he’d probably put on five pounds between the room-service steak last night and the bacon and sausage breakfast.

The animal had been meticulously well behaved, and now stood quietly by Cole’s side while Cole rang the bell.

A minute later, Amber answered the door. She was dressed in faded blue jeans, bare feet poking out at the bottom. A stained T-shirt stretched across her chest, and she had what looked like oatmeal smeared in her hair. Zachary was bawling in her arms.

“The doorman said it was a delivery,” she told Cole over Zachary’s cries.

Cole held up the shoes. “It is a delivery.”

She focused on the shiny creations while struggling to hold the wiggling, howling Zachary. “Honestly, I’d hoped somebody might steal them.”

“You have got to be kidding.” Cole didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Only partially kidding,” she admitted. “They cost a lot of money, but I don’t ever want to have to wear them again.” She glanced down. “You have a dog?”

“I have one now,” he said.

“Okay.” She seemed to digest that while Zachary continued to wriggle. It was clear she had her hands full. “Could you maybe just bring them in and toss them down?” She glanced around the foyer.

“Sure.” Cole moved through the doorway, spying a closet door. He opened it and placed them inside.

The baby’s cries faded to whimpers behind him.

He turned back. “I’ll have you know I practically risked my life to rescue these.”

Zachary suddenly stiffened. He twisted his head to stare at Cole in what looked like amazement.

“The party got that wild?” Amber asked.

Zachary’s silver-gray eyes focused on Cole like lasers. He went silent and stared unblinking, seeming to drink in Cole’s appearance.

Then, suddenly, he lunged for Cole.

“Hey.” Amber grappled to keep hold of him.

Zachary’s own arms were outstretched, reaching almost desperately for Cole. He started to howl again, hands clasping the air.

“This is weird,” said Amber.

Cole didn’t have a clue how to respond.

“Do you mind?” She moved closer, glancing meaningfully at the baby.

“I guess not.” Who would say no?

Taking Zachary from her arms, he cautiously brought him into his chest. Zachary instantly wrapped his arms around Cole’s neck, squeezing tight. He nuzzled his sticky, tear-damp face against Cole’s skin. Then he sighed, and his entire body went limp against Cole’s chest.

Through his shock and surprise, Cole’s heart started to pound, bringing a strange tightness to his chest. For some bizarre reason, his baby brother trusted him. How was a guy supposed to react to that?

“You’re magic,” Amber whispered. “Whatever it is you’re doing, just keep it up.”

“I’m only standing here.”

“He’s been crying for over an hour. He gets like that sometimes.”

“He probably exhausted himself before I got here.”

“I think he misses his parents,” Amber said softly, her expression compassionate as she gazed at Zachary. She reached out to stoke the baby’s downy hair. “But he doesn’t understand what he’s feeling, and he certainly can’t put it into words.”

Then she gave Cole a sweet smile. “You should come inside for a minute.”

The dog seemed to understand the invitation. It padded gamely into the living room.

Amber’s cute, disheveled appearance, the mutt’s claws clicking on the hardwood and the baby powder scent of Zachary’s warm body curled in his arms brought a sense of unreality to Cole.

“Sure,” he answered, and followed her through the archway.

It took only seconds for him to realize this was a perfect opportunity to learn more about her.

“It was either this or the mansion.” She seemed to be apologizing for the opulent surroundings. “We thought it would be less disruptive if Zachary kept his nanny, Isabel. She occasionally sleeps over, so there was no way we’d all fit in my apartment. It’s one bedroom with a tiny kitchen. This place belonged to Samuel.”

The furnishings were obviously expensive, but they were strewn with baby blankets and rattles, the floor decorated with colorful plastic toys.

“Sorry about the mess,” she said.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“And me.” She looked ruefully down at herself. “Well, this is me. This is what I normally look like. Last night was the anomaly.”

“Seriously, Amber. You have nothing to apologize for. You look great.”

She coughed out a laugh of disbelief.

“Okay, you look normal. How formal do you think we get in Alaska?”

She seemed to consider that. “Can I get you something?”

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t want to put her to any work. Then again, judging by Zachary’s even breathing and relaxed body, his excuse for hanging around had just fallen asleep. Maybe refreshments weren’t such a bad idea.

“Do you happen to have coffee?” he asked.

“Coming up. Take a seat anywhere.” She gestured to the furniture as she exited through another archway that obviously led to the kitchen.

Cole took in the massive living room. In one corner, a plush sofa and a couple of leather armchairs bracketed a gas fireplace. Another furniture grouping was set up next to a bank of picture windows overlooking the city. The room was open to a formal dining room at one end and a hallway at the other that obviously led to the bedrooms.

He decided to follow Amber into the kitchen. No point in wasting valuable conversation time here by himself.

The kitchen was also huge, with high ceilings, a central island, generous granite counter spaces, stainless-steel appliances of every conceivable description and maple cabinets interspersed with big windows that faced the park. There was a breakfast nook at one end, stationed beside a balcony door, and an open door at the other, leading to a big pantry.

“This is very nice,” said Cole.

“I’m still getting used to the size.” She closed the lid and pressed a button on the coffeemaker. “It’s weird moving into someone else’s stuff—their furniture, their dishes, their towels. It’s crazy, but I miss my pepper mill.” She pointed to a corner of the counter. “You practically need a forklift to use that one.”

Cole found himself smiling. “You should move your own stuff in.”

For some reason, her expression faltered.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly put in. “It’s too soon?”

She paused, seeming to search for words. “It’s too something. I won’t pretend I was close to my stepsister, and I barely knew Samuel. Maybe it’s the court case. Maybe I don’t want to jinx anything. But I’m definitely keeping my own apartment intact until everything is completely finalized.”

Cole perched on a stool in front of the island. Zachary was quiet and comfortable in his arms and surprisingly easy to hold. “Tell me about the court case.”

“You haven’t read the tabloids?”

“Not much.”

“I’m in a custody battle with Roth Calvin. He’s a vice president at Coast Eagle and Samuel’s stated choice for guardian.”

“I’d heard that much.”

“Coco named me as guardian, and I won on a technicality, but Roth’s fighting it.”

“Is Roth close to Zachary?”

Amber pulled two hunter-green stoneware mugs out of a side cupboard. “Roth’s close to Coast Eagle. You were right last night in the car. The person who controls Zachary ultimately controls the company.”

“So you can get me my Pacific routes.” Now that Cole had thought it through, he realized the cover story was perfect. It gave him an excuse to ask all kinds of questions without anybody growing suspicious.

“I have no intention of micromanaging Coast Eagle.”

“We had a fight last night, didn’t we?” Cole had become so focused on the shoes, and then the dog, and then on Zachary, he’d forgotten she’d left the car mad at him.

“You call that a fight?”

“I believe I questioned your commitment to Zachary’s inheritance.”

“My commitment is to Zachary. I want the company to stay healthy for him, sure. But I can tell when I’m not the smartest person in the room. There are a lot of committed, hardworking managers and employees at Coast Eagle. They need to continue running the company.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I’m an assistant director, Cole.”

He liked it when she said his name. “You’re responsible for the well-being of the company owner.”

Her gaze rested on Zachary, and her tone went soft. “Poor thing.”

“Poor little rich boy?” It came out more sarcastic than Cole had intended.

“I honestly wish he’d inherited a whole lot less. That way nobody would fight me for him.”

“So you’re afraid you might lose?”

Her expression faltered, and she focused on pouring the freshly brewed coffee. “I try not to think about it.” She turned back with both cups in her hands. “I can’t believe you got him to sleep.”

“I’m just sitting here breathing. You wore him out.”

“Maybe he likes the sound of your voice.”

“Maybe,” Cole agreed.

Cole didn’t like to think Zachary’s behavior had anything to do with the genetic connection. But Cole supposed it was possible he sounded like Samuel. Maybe Zachary was subconsciously picking it up.

“You can probably get away with putting him down in his bed,” said Amber.

“He’s fine here.”

Oddly, Cole didn’t want to put Zachary down, at least not right away. This vulnerable little baby was his brother. And for some reason, the kid had instantly trusted him. Cole was suddenly acutely aware that there were two of them in the world. He could not have imagined how that would make him feel.

* * *

Amber’s boss, Herbert Nywall’s, expression was stern as he rose from the table in her compact office on the seventh floor of the Coast Eagle building.

Max Cutter was the company’s chief lawyer, so Herbert had had no choice but to acquiesce to his request to speak privately with Amber. But it was obvious Herbert was becoming frustrated with the increasing interruptions of Amber’s day-to-day duties.

She didn’t blame him.

“Can this wait, Max?” she asked, earning a look of shock from Herbert.

“I’m afraid not. Sorry, Herbert.”

“Not at all,” Herbert responded with false cheer. “She’s all yours.”

“We’re pretty busy today,” Amber told Max as Herbert closed the door behind him.

“You can’t pretend this isn’t happening.” Max took the chair across from her at the two-person meeting table. It was wedged between her desk and a bookshelf in the windowless room.

“Believe me, I’m not pretending anything isn’t happening.” In the past three weeks, her life had been turned completely upside down.

Nothing was remotely normal, and now Cole Parker had appeared, somehow insinuating himself into the circumstances. She didn’t quite know what to make of him. He was opportunistic, that was for sure. And he had definite designs on Coast Eagle.

But Zachary’s reaction to him had been astonishing. And her own reaction was just as bizarre. Yesterday, she’d fought a ridiculous urge to throw herself into Cole’s arms and trust him completely.

Max got straight to the point. “Roth’s pressuring the board to appoint him president.”

The news surprised Amber. It also worried her. “I thought they were going to wait to choose a president.”

“That was the agreement. But he wants it bad, and half of the board members are convinced he’ll win the custody battle. If he does, he’ll be the guy deciding who stays on the board. They want to ingratiate themselves now while they have a chance.”

Amber understood their dilemma. She even sympathized. If Roth obtained custody of Zachary, he’d be ruthless in his revenge on board members who’d stood against him.

“Plus,” Max continued, “they see strength in him, decisiveness and intelligence. They think he’ll make a good president.”

“I don’t like him,” Amber blurted out. “And I don’t think he’d make a good president.”

Max sat back in his chair. “That was definitive.” He seemed to be considering her words. “Is it because of the situation with Zachary? Because that would certainly be understandable.”

“It’s because he recklessly spends company money. He wants to refurbish or replace the entire fleet with no regard whatsoever for the debt load. He’s a shopaholic on a massive scale.”

Max quirked a smile. “Interestingly put, but not inaccurate from what I’ve seen.”

“They can’t make him president.”

“The board’s deadlocked. We need to appoint another board member to break the tie.”

Amber shook her head. Max had broached the subject of board appointments with her two weeks ago.

“You know I don’t want to do that.”

“I know you don’t.”

“I don’t want to run Coast Eagle.” She knew she wasn’t qualified to take the helm of the company.

“Well, you’re the only one who doesn’t.”

Amber came to her feet, taking the three steps that brought her flush against the front of her desk. She turned back. This was a terrible office for pacing.

Max spoke again. “If you appoint the right person, a majority will agree on a different interim president and Roth will have to back down. If you don’t appoint anyone, MacSweeny will flip. It’s only a matter of time. And then Roth’s in.”

Amber spoke more to herself than to Max. “And the spending spree begins.”

For some reason, her thoughts turned back to Cole Parker. In the car Saturday night, he’d said it was her responsibility to take control of the company for Zachary. She’d disagreed with him at the time, but the advice stuck with her.

She let the memory take shape, and his image came clear in her mind. The streetlights had played across his handsome face. He was sexy in a suit, sexier still in his blue jeans the next morning at the penthouse. And the memory of him holding Zachary? The tenderness had touched a chord deep down inside her. It shouldn’t have turned her on, but it did. The truth was, everything about Cole turned her on.

All that probably meant she shouldn’t take his advice.

She looked at Max, bringing herself back to the present. She had to agree that letting Roth plunge the airline into debt wasn’t in Zachary’s best interest. Any thinking person could see that. And what Max said was true. At the moment, she was the only person who could legally appoint a new board member.

If she didn’t do it, no one could.

“Who?” she found herself venturing. “If I was to appoint someone, who would that be?”

It had to be someone they could trust. It also had to be someone who didn’t have to fear Roth if he won the custody battle. It had to be someone who understood the airline, who brought true value to the board and who could be strong in the face of divided loyalties, uncertain times and extraordinarily high stakes.

She couldn’t think of a single person who fit the bill.

“You,” Max told her softly.

“No.” She gripped the back of her chair and shook her head. “No.” It was unthinkable. “No.”

“You underestimate yourself, Amber.”

“Coco chose me because she knew I would love Zachary. She had no idea it would put me in this position with the company.”

“Coco had no idea about anything,” said Max.

Amber didn’t know how to respond to that. Her sister wasn’t the most analytical person in the world. It was fair to say that Coco had operated on emotion rather than logic. It was also fair to say that Coco had never really grown up. She’d wanted what she’d wanted, and she’d usually wanted it right away. She’d never spent much time worrying about the impact on others.

“There’s no one else,” said Max, spreading his palms.

“There has to be.”

“It’s one vote. You take the appointment. You go to one meeting. You vote. You leave. And the new president takes over the reins.” He glanced around her small office, all but wrinkling his nose. “You can come back here an hour later and take over your regular duties.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my job.”

“Nobody’s saying there is. Though not many new billionaires would keep working in this particular office.”

“I’m not a new—”

“Amber, please. I can see that your instinct is to be humble. But you’re Zachary’s guardian. Anytime you want to exercise it, you have control of a billion-dollar company.”

“Temporarily.”

“Maybe. But maybe not.”

She slid back into her chair, propping her elbows on the table. “It’s not that simple.”

“It’s very simple.”

She couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t dare let her head run away with any aspect of the situation. There was too much at stake for her to let her guard down.

She tried to explain her feelings to Max. “I can’t let myself think it’s real until it’s really real. You know?”

“Amber, this is no time to be superstitious.”

“I can’t jinx custody of Zachary. I can lose anything else, but not him.”

“Coast Eagle needs you to step up.”

Her stomach went hollow, and her pulse began to pound. It wasn’t exactly what Cole had said, but it was close. Two apparently smart men were telling her the same thing.

“How long do I have to decide?”

“Twenty-four hours. After that, we may lose MacSweeny.”

“Let me think about it.”

Max gave a sharp nod. Then he rose. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’ll be here.”

* * *

“Max is a very intelligent lawyer,” said Destiny over Zachary’s cries.

They were in the penthouse kitchen, Amber jostling Zachary and Destiny doling out linguini and salad.

“You’re a smart lawyer, too,” said Amber.

“Sure, but I’m looking after your interests. Max is looking after the interests of Coast Eagle. From the perspective of what’s in the best interests of the company, you should absolutely take the board appointment.”

“And from the perspective of me?”

“You’ll make a lifelong enemy out of Roth.”

“I’ve done that simply by breathing.”

Destiny grinned, while Zachary’s cries increased.

Amber jiggled harder. She was growing exhausted. “I swear, if I had Cole Parker’s phone number, I’d call him up and beg him to come over.”

“He’s the other Alaska guy?”

“Yes, the one who put Zachary to sleep Sunday morning without lifting a finger.” Amber knew she should feel miffed by that, because it sure didn’t seem fair.

Destiny picked up her phone. “I’ve got Luca’s number.”

“Yeah, right,” Amber chuckled.

But Destiny raised her phone to her ear. “Luca? It’s Destiny.”

“Don’t you dare,” said Amber.

Destiny stopped talking and smiled. “Thanks.”

Amber shook her head in warning.

“That’s not why I’m calling,” said Destiny. “No. It’s really not. I’m looking for Cole.”

Amber shook her head more frantically, moving closer.

“Not even close,” said Destiny. “Tell him Amber needs him to put Zachary to sleep.”

“She’s joking,” Amber called out, causing Zachary to cry louder. She turned away, walking toward the living room. “Shh, shh, shh,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Hi, Cole,” said Destiny from behind her. “Yes, Amber needs the baby cavalry. Can you come?”

Amber couldn’t believe this was happening. Cole was a stranger. You couldn’t ask a stranger to drop everything, drive over and soothe your baby. The world didn’t work like that. With any luck at all, he’d be bright enough to say no.

“They’re on their way,” called Destiny.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

Destiny set down her phone and moved to the wine rack recessed in the kitchen wall. “How’s Zachary been doing with the nanny?”

“Sometimes he’s good with Isabel, sometimes not. Evening is always the worst. We’re been helping each other, but tonight’s her night off.”

Perusing the shelves, Destiny chose a bottle. “Do you think maybe we could give him a little of the merlot?”

“I wish. But definitely pour me a glass.”

Destiny located the corkscrew, peeled the foil and opened the bottle. She moved two glasses to the center of the island and poured, placing them next to the two plates of linguini.

Then she slid onto a stool while Amber jiggled her way back to the island.

Amber knew there was no point in sitting down. Zachary had a built in altimeter. His preferred height was precisely five feet off the ground, not four feet, not four and a half. And his preferred swaying arc was approximately nine inches. Any deviation from the pattern brought an immediate vocal protest.