Mary Wilson - Winning Sara's Heart

Finally—she’d said it. There was nothing between them. There couldn’t be, not now—not ever…

He came around the desk and stood in front of her. “What did you think I was going to do?”

“I’m sorry,” she breathed.

He narrowed his gaze, then without warning reached out and cupped her chin. He ignored the way she flinched at the contact as his fingers pressed against her skin. “What in the hell happened to you to make you like this?”

Sara drew back, tried to absorb the pain that came with his words. “Who do you think you are?” she whispered.

He leaned toward her, coming so close that she felt his breath brush her face when he spoke. “Someone who can’t understand where all this anger is coming from, or why you’ve decided to cut off your life for your daughter.” He paused, then said softly, “But then again, I don’t know you, do I? I don’t understand.”

“No, you don’t,” she said, hating the way her voice was shaking.

She expected him to turn and walk away. But he didn’t.

Instead, he looked right at her and said in a low, tense voice, “But I want to…understand.”

Dear Reader,

Winning Sara’s Heart, part of my series JUST FOR KIDS, centers on E. J. Sommers and Sara Flynn, two people who aren’t looking for anything more than to be in control of their own lives. That premise always intrigues me—how two people can think they’re in control, only to meet that one person who can change everything.

This is a Cinderella story. There’s a “prince” and a “princess,” a magical ball, even a “fairy godmother” named Mary Garner, but no wicked stepsisters. However, there is a little girl named Hayley, who loves both the “prince” and the “princess.” She happens to end up in the middle of the magic that proves that even when two people don’t believe in love, it’s all around them and out of their control.

I hope you enjoy E. J. and Sara’s story and all the magic love can bring to this world, especially when it’s least expected. Please look for the next book in my JUST FOR KIDS series, When Megan Smiles, in March 2004.

Winning Sara’s Heart

Mary Anne Wilson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Wendy Douglas

For being a great friend when life wasn’t easy.

Thanks for being there.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

E. J. Sommers didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be anywhere but in the limousine heading into downtown Houston for a meeting at LynTech. He didn’t want to sit in some stuffy conference room, facing the head honchos across a shiny table and negotiate away part of his own company. If it were up to him, he’d be out somewhere in the open, alone, letting his attorney take care of the whole thing.

“Everything okay?” Martin Griggs, that very same attorney, asked. “You look…” His voice trailed off.

E. J. turned to Martin, a thin man in a perfectly tailored, pin-striped navy suit, and with much less red hair than he’d had ten years ago when he’d first come on board with the newly formed EJS Corporation. “Just how do I look?” he asked, his dark hazel eyes narrowing on the man.

“As if you’d rather be drawn and quartered than do this,” Martin said without missing a beat.

“Right on the mark,” E. J. murmured.

“You need to be in the meeting, to show that the power goes all the way to the top, and you’re the one in control.”

E. J. nodded. “I know.”

“But, you don’t look too convinced.”

“Hell, I’m convinced, but you know I’m never sure of anything in business. I do this by the seat of my pants, not because I’ve got some impressive degree to hang my opinions and actions on. I never even made it past high school.”

“Education or not, by doing it your way, you’ve been a success, made millions, and have one of the most viable corporations around. That’s why LynTech wants this deal to go through.”

“Just about everyone else looks at me and wonders when I’m going to fall flat on my face, when I’ll go back to where I belong and leave the big league to the big-league players.”

Martin smiled. “Sure, but you aren’t falling flat on your face, and you’re here, so they’ll deal with you or there won’t be a deal at all.”

E. J. knew that Martin was stating the facts, but he still wondered what he was doing in this situation to begin with. He’d never set out to be rich, to have this kind of power or influence, and he was willing to let part of his company go to try to make his life simpler. Maybe even to figure out where his life was going from here. What he knew was, he needed time and breathing space, and getting LynTech to take over part of his operations meant he’d get what he wanted.

LynTech would get the high-tech branch of EJS Corporation, freeing him up. Quietly, they were negotiating, and it would be a done deal before the rest of the business world knew what was happening. No sharks would go after EJS Corporation. Just a quiet, fast deal. Those were the rules Jackson Ford, the negotiator for LynTech, had agreed to.

“They’ll deal with me,” he muttered, and tugged at the cuffs of the brown leather bomber jacket he was wearing over a plain white T-shirt with blue jeans and his favorite pair of boots.

“You know, you really are a legend in the business world,” Martin said.

“Oh, sure,” he said, almost laughing.

E. J. knew how he was seen by most people. By virtue of his success and his wealth, women pursued him passionately and men went after his holdings. His business opponents were passionately resentful of what they perceived to be his ability to do what they did, but with a deceptive ease that rankled them. “A cocky upstart with an attitude” was one of the kinder remarks he’d heard. He ignored the worst remarks that labeled him as a man who didn’t know a contract from his elbow and a man who had more luck than brains.

He knew he’d been lucky in his life. But he’d be dammed if he’d apologize for his success. Gossip-mongers seemed to thrive on finding out what he was up to.

“Well, Mr. Legend, we’re here,” Martin said as the limo slowed and pulled to the curb in front of the towering glass-and-metal building that contained LynTech. A security man was there right away, opening E. J.’s door and looking inside.

“Good morning, sir. Can I help you?”

“We’re here for a meeting,” Martin said. “E. J. Sommers and Martin Griggs.”

The khaki-uniformed man, probably in his late twenties, with pale skin and a concerned expression, checked a clipboard he was holding. “Oh, yes, sir,” he said with a smile. “The meeting is in the main conference room on the top floor. Mr. Holden said to send you right up when you got here.”

Martin’s phone rang as E. J. got out, and then the attorney was beside him on the sidewalk, holding up a hand to get E.J’s attention. Martin frowned but didn’t say anything as he listened to the caller. “Oh, for—” Martin finally muttered, his words stopping abruptly as he listened some more. “This stinks. It’s not what we signed on for. I’ll be right up,” he said, and flipped his phone shut.

“What’s going on?” E. J. asked.

“That was Ford. He just found out the deal leaked and the word is on the street. It’s making the rounds.”

E. J. had actually liked what he’d heard of Ford. When they’d spoken, E. J. got the sense that Ford stood by his word. Had he been mistaken? “What happened?”

“He doesn’t know, but it’s out and the sharks are circling. It’s just what you thought. They’re seeing it as a weakness in the structure, and they’re going for blood.” He motioned to the building. “It’s not going to be pretty, but we need to get this done. Come on.”

Suddenly a child screamed and E. J. flinched at the piercing sound. He glanced to his left and saw a harried-looking young woman in jeans and a loose T-shirt trying to carry a squirming toddler toward the entrance to the building. “Hush, Walker, Mommy’s inside. I promise.”

The little boy, with wispy blond hair and a good set of lungs, let out another ear-piercing scream. “Hush, hush, hush,” the woman kept saying as she hurried into the lobby of the LynTech building.

“Sorry, sir,” the security man said. “He’s going to the day-care center inside. Those kids can be a handful,” he said with a shake of his head. “Sure glad I don’t have any.” Then he realized he might have been out of line and backtracked. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that kids are bad or anything. I mean, you each probably have lovely children.”

“Two girls,” Martin said as he glanced at the closed entry doors. “You say they’ve got a day-care center in there?”

“Yes, sir. Have for a while now, but I never thought kids should be around business stuff. Just my opinion.”

E. J. didn’t care about the kids or why a corporation like LynTech would even have children on the premises. He sure as hell didn’t want to talk about them or where they should be. Kids didn’t matter to him. He didn’t care if LynTech had a high school tucked away in the building. What he cared about was a rotten deal, and he didn’t want any part of what was waiting for them on the top floor.

“Call Ford back and tell him we’re on our way back to Dallas.” He wanted complications out of his life. But that wasn’t going to happen here and now. “We’re cutting our losses and getting out of town.”

Martin didn’t move. “We can’t just walk away without a face-to-face.”

“Ford and Holden both promised it was going to be closed, that we wouldn’t have to go public with the negotiations.”

Martin shook his head. “E. J., in business you have to see things through to the end. You need to tell them—”

“You go and see them if you want to. See what the hell happened, but I’m leaving it.” Frustration was growing in him, along with impatience. He turned to the security man, who was trying to pretend that he wasn’t listening to their conversation. “Where’s the nearest place to get a drink?”

“Coffee?” he asked.

When E. J. nodded the man said, “Over there, in the Lennox Building,” he said, motioning to the structure south of LynTech. “They just put in a sort of bar and restaurant on the ground level. Everyone’s been saying it’s good. Just inside the main doors to the left.”

E. J. glanced at a twin to the LynTech Building, all glass and steel with a sweeping entry and the name Lennox carved into a heavy slab of marble used as a cross support over the doors. He turned to Martin. “Give me some cash?”

Martin tucked the phone back in a side pocket of his briefcase, then reached for his wallet. “I wish you’d carry cash, E. J. Do you know how much more bookkeeping I have to do to account for the dribs and drabs you take off me?” he muttered, then looked up at E. J. as he opened his wallet and held it out to him. “Why don’t you just take what you need?”

E. J. took a few bills, then said, “Put it on my tab.”

“Of course,” Martin murmured as he tucked his wallet back in his pocket. “So, you’re not coming up with me?”