With a sigh of resignation, Chance walked into his office Monday morning and met his brothers' inquisitive gazes. He knew why they were there. Marcus had mentioned to them that they'd been invited to Kylie's for dinner and no doubt they wanted to know how things went. But he wouldn't make it easy for them. He would pretend that he hadn't a clue why they graced his office with their presence.

"Good morning. Is there any reason the three of you have taken over my office?" he asked, placing his briefcase down on his desk.

After a few moments, when no one replied, he exhaled a long sigh and said, "I don't recall us having a meeting this morning. I know I have a meeting with Bas later today, but what's up with you guys? Is anything wrong?"

Not surprisingly, it was Bas who stepped forward and said, "How about cutting the bull, Chance. You know why we're here. We want to know how things went yesterday."

Chance looked at him. "Was there a particular way they were supposed to go?"

"You tell us," Morgan said, frowning. "You were the one who was all bent out of shape last week when you found that note. Can we a.s.sume you blew things out of proportion and Tiffany Hagan isn't the threat to our nephew's future that you a.s.sumed she was?"

Chance leaned back in his chair. A part of him wanted to tell his brothers that Tiffany was no longer a threat but her mother definitely was. But there was no way he could do that and have a moment's peace from their inquisition. "No, Tiffany's not a threat and although I'm not going to say I overreacted, I will say that I think Kylie and I have everything under control."

Donovan quirked an eyebrow. "Kylie?"

"Yes, Kylie Hagan. Tiffany's mother."

Donovan smiled. "Oh, yeah, the one who's such a good-looker."

A dark scowl suddenly appeared on Chance's face and he leaned forward. "And how do you know that Kylie is good-looking?"

Donovan was taken back by the bite in his brother's tone. "You told us, don't you remember? In fact your exact words were, 'If the daughter looks anything like the mother then I'm in trouble.'"

"Oh." Too late, Chance recalled having said that. He leaned back in his chair again, ignoring the curious glances his brothers were now giving him.

"You know what, Chance?"

Chance glanced over at Morgan and frowned. "What?"

A smile curved Morgan Steele's lips. "I hate to tell you this, but I have a feeling that you've gotten yourself into some trouble."

"So there you have it, Chance," Bas was saying after handing him the written report. "I'm glad to say that considering everything, we're doing well. Although some of our compet.i.tors have gotten bruised by the severe trading conditions of the past few years, we've been successful because we're a company that sets the pace and doesn't just follow the trend. Still, whether we like it or not, sooner or later we're going to have to give some thought to the possibility of outsourcing in order to stay compet.i.tive. I don't like it any more than you, but that's the way things are going now and we need to continue to adapt to change, even change we don't particularly like."

Chance tossed the report on his desk. Bas was right. He didn't like the thought of outsourcing as a means to stay ahead of the game. With the new importance being placed on countries like India and China, for the past year he'd seen huge restructuring taking place in a number of manufacturing and production companies.

As the corporation's problem solver and troubleshooter, Bas kept them in the know. He was an expert at tackling the company's complex problems. So far the Steele Corporation was not unionized because, during the twenty-five years of its existence, the employees had always been pleased with the fair treatment they'd received. Their salaries were more than compet.i.tive, and the Steele Corporation had a reputation of never having laid off an employee, even during some of the company's rough times.

However, according to Bas, there was talk in the production area that the Steele Corporation would be outsourcing to a foreign country.

"I'm still not ready to go that route, Bas. Our employees are loyal and we owe them for all the hard work they do. Our people are the reason this company is successful, not the products we produce and deliver. What we're going to have to do is to continue to focus on developing our employees and executing those manufacturing strategies that integrate people, processes and technologies to a.s.sure us tangible results. Until that stops happening, I refuse to entertain the thought of outsourcing to another country."

Bas smiled. "I fully agree with you. So what do we do about those rumors that we're headed that way the first of the year?"

"Before I leave for Dallas next week, how about setting up a meeting between me and the production department heads? I want to make sure they're delivering the same message to our employees. There's evidently a communication breakdown somewhere. And make sure you include Vanessa. She will be back in the office then," Chance said of his cousin Vanessa Steele who headed the PR Department and was presently vacationing in Europe.

"All right. Consider it done."

Chance studied his brother as Bas placed the items back into his briefcase. Bas was a hard worker-too dedicated at times since he lived, ate and breathed the Steele Corporation. That would make one wonder when he had time for a social life, which he evidently had since he was engaged to be married. "Seems to me that you need to chill more than I do, Bas."

Bas glanced up and his lips curved into a lethal half smile. "I beg to differ, Chance. You're the one who's tackling woman troubles. I'm not."

"It's hard to believe Ca.s.sandra is that understanding."

Bas shrugged. "Frankly, she's not but she knows how far to take her complaints."

A frown pulled at Chance's lips. Not for the first time he wondered what had possessed his brother to become engaged to Ca.s.sandra Tisdale, a staunch member of Charlotte's elite social group. Ca.s.sandra and Bas were as different as day and night. The woman was so incredibly self-absorbed, it boggled Chance's mind that Bas had even given her the time of day, let alone become engaged to her. She had a tendency to think she was the most important thing that existed in this universe. And while she was shining and polished, it was known that Bas was more than a little rough around the edges and had a few tarnished spots on his reputation from a few years back. But Ca.s.sandra was determined to do something n.o.body had ever been able to do-make Sebastian Steele sparkle.

Chance and his two brothers wondered how in the h.e.l.l she planned to accomplish such a feat. If nothing else, they would give her an A for trying. They knew, even if she didn't, that it would be a wasted effort. The woman who would eventually capture Bas's heart would be the one who accepted him as he was, and not try to make him into something that he wasn't.

"Dinner is at six tonight, if anyone is interested," Chance decided to say, since his brothers had a tendency to drop by for a meal unannounced.

Bas chuckled. "I'll pa.s.s the word on to Morgan and Donovan."

"What about you?"

"I'm invited to dinner at the Tisdales'. My guess is that Ca.s.sandra's mother will try to get me to finally commit to a June wedding."

Chance nodded. That was eight months away. "Will you?"

"There's no reason for me not to, I suppose. Being engaged for almost six months is long enough, don't you think? See you later."

When the door closed behind Bas, Chance stood and walked over to the window and looked out. Deciding to rid Bas and his issues from his mind, he turned his thoughts to his own problem.

Kylie Hagan.

He couldn't help wondering whether she'd made a decision about the camping trip yet. Several times that day he'd been tempted to call her but had changed his mind.

He felt excited at the prospect of having her at the cabin for an entire weekend, even with the knowledge that their kids would be around to keep them company. It would be hard to keep his attraction to her at bay, but he would.

He figured the reason she was hesitating was because the thought of them spending the night under the same roof bothered her. She was well aware that the kids would have to go to sleep eventually, and when they did, it would be parents' time.

She was fighting the chemistry between them. He knew that just as he knew it was a fight she wouldn't win. But he would let her try, up to a certain point. He'd give her until the end of the week and if he didn't hear from her by then, he would take some necessary action.

"So, have you decided whether or not you and Tiffy are going camping with Chance Steele and his son?"

Kylie glanced up from the meal she and Lena were sharing during their weekly lunch date at a popular restaurant in town. "Who told you about that?" she asked.

Lena smiled. "Who else? My G.o.ddaughter, of course. She's all excited at the thought of going camping."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder if it's the camping trip that has her excited or the thought of being around Marcus an entire weekend. If it's the latter then she might as well get unexcited because if I do decide to go, I'll have my eyes on her and Marcus the entire time. Any time they spend together will definitely be supervised."

Lena couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "So you think she has an ulterior motive for wanting to go?"

"Hey, remember I was young and in love once, and when you are their age, you look for every opportunity to be together, whether you're under your parents' watchful eyes or not."

"Yes, that could very well be, but at some point you're going to have to start trusting her, Kylie. You can't continue to judge Tiffy by the way you behaved with Sam. The more you do, the more she's going to resent it."

There was anguish in Kylie's eyes and a wee hint of guilt. "It's so hard being a parent these days, Lena. You want the best for your kids and you go on the premise that experience is the best teacher, but then you're faced with the question of how you can be there to protect them without suffocating them."

Lena nodded, clearly understanding. "I think for you it's more difficult because Tiffy is all you have. Over the years she has become your life. Have you given thought to becoming involved in other things?"

"Other things like what? I have a florist shop to run, Lena. It's not like I don't have anything else to do with my time."

"Yes, but only when Tiffy is at school. Other than that you're a fulltime mother who really doesn't have a life other than her child."

Kylie knew where this conversation was leading since they had been down this road several times. It was the one topic she and Lena didn't agree on. Lena felt it was a crying shame that she didn't have a man in her life and hadn't had one since high school.

Her thoughts shifted to Chance Steele and how much she had enjoyed his company on Sunday. It had felt strange sharing her time with anyone other than Tiffany, but she had to admit it had felt good, too. Too good. After they'd eaten they'd played a game of volleyball, the young against what Marcus and Tiffany had considered as "the old."

Kylie had been surprised at how much energy Chance had. The kids had been surprised, too, and she and Chance had won the game, showing Tiffany and Marcus that age was nothing but a number. Afterward, they had eaten ice cream and the cake she had baked.

As much as she had enjoyed Chance's company, she knew it was out of the question for something to develop between them. There was no way she would start depending on him or any other man for her happiness. She had done so once and refused to go that route again.

"I don't want a man in my life, Lena, at least not now," she decided to say. "Maybe when Tiffany leaves for college I'll feel differently and I'll get involved with someone, but I'm not interested now." She then turned her attention back to her meal.

"Okay," Lena said, placing her gla.s.s of iced tea aside. "Tell me about Chance Steele."

Kylie looked up again, giving her friend an uncomfortable stare. "What do you want me to tell you about Chance that you don't already know?"

"Well, Tiffy couldn't stop singing his praises when I picked her up from school yesterday. He definitely made a positive impression on her. She thought he was cool and fun to be around."

Kylie smiled. "She's right. He was a lot of fun."

She quickly resumed eating her meal, afraid that Lena might see all the l.u.s.t that filled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to tell Lena that Chance was the cause of her surging hormones lately. Which was exactly why she didn't think going on a camping trip with him, Marcus and Tiffany was a good idea. The longings he stirred within her could be relentless at times, and it took all the will power she could muster to hold on to her sanity. Her needy libido and her out-of-control hormones confined in a cabin for the weekend with Chance Steele were way too much to ignore. Especially when she'd have to stay focused on Marcus and Tiffany.

"Chance is not a bad catch you know, Kylie. He's good-looking, wealthy, intelligent and generous to a fault."

Kylie glanced up. "Umm, sounds like someone you should be interested in, then."

A sad smile tugged at Lena's lips. "You know the story of my life. Because of Mom's failing health, the two of us are a package deal and not too many men want that. At least none I've met so far. The moment I mention that I'm my mother's caretaker, they conveniently drop out of the picture. However, I do believe Chance would be different, but he and I never connected that way. I can only see him as a friend and nothing more."

Unfortunately, Kylie could see Chance as a lot more than a friend but she blatantly refused to go there. But right now, at that moment, her main concern was not the issue of her and Chance. It was Lena. She silently searched her mind for something to say that would ease the raw pain she'd heard in her best friend's words.

Propping her chin in her hand, she gave Lena a serious smile. "There's a man out there for you, Lena, who will be more than happy to take you and whatever and whoever comes along with you. I've always known that if I got interested in someone, that person would have to love Tiffany as much as he loved me. For some men it's easy to accept a package deal. For others it's not. And those who can't are the ones that women like us do better leaving alone."

Lena reached across the table and took her hand. "And I believe that there's a man out there for you, too, and believe it or not, he can be depended on. I know Sam and your dad let you down but you can't continue to judge all men by their actions, Kylie. Every young girl needs a good male role model in her life. Because of Dad's death, I missed having that, and you're cheating Tiffy of having that as well. I think as a single mom you've done an admirable job in raising her. But don't you think at some point she needs to see you in a loving relationship with a man?"

Kylie looked Lena squarely in the eye. Conversations like this tended to expose emotions that she would rather keep under wraps because along with the emotions came the memories of the hurt and pain that Sam and her father had caused.

"Even if I did, Lena, that man can't be Chance Steele. For heaven's sake, he's the father of the boy that my daughter thinks she's madly in love with."

Lena placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. "And what does that have to do with anything? More specifically, what does it have to do with you and Chance?"

"I don't want to confuse her, nor do I want to send out a negative picture about anything."

Lena shook her head. "Your daughter and my G.o.ddaughter is a lot smarter and mature than you think, Kylie. Kids these days know the score. They aren't as naive as we want to think they are. If something is going on between you and Chance, she'll be able to pick up on it, and personally, I doubt if she'll see anything wrong with it."

"She might not see anything wrong with it but I will. How am I going to lecture her about the difference between love and l.u.s.t when I'm having problems knowing the difference between the two myself?"

Lena smiled. "So you are attracted to Chance." It was a statement and not a question.

"Yes, more than I want to be," she said, deciding to finally be completely honest with her best friend. "Around him I feel things that I've never felt before, Lena. We've kissed. Twice. And I'm not talking about a little kiss, either. The man takes kissing to a level I've never experienced before. All he has to do is get close enough to breathe on my mouth and my lips automatically open. Isn't that pathetic? Now can you understand why I'm hesitating about going on that camping trip?"

"Yes and no."

At Kylie's confused expression, Lena explained, "Yes, I can see why you're hesitant about going, and no, I don't agree with your a.s.sessment of the situation. So what if you have the hots for Chance? You're both adults and should be able to do whatever you want to do. Your attraction to him shouldn't have any bearing on what's going on between Tiffany and Marcus and how you're handling their situation. I know you and no matter what you do, you will always set a good example in front of Tiffany. However, what you and Chance do in private is your business. But then, like I said earlier, I think it's important for Tiffy to see you in a loving relationship with a man, and I can't think of a better person for that man to be than Chance Steele."

"There are bound to be complications, Lena."

"Only those of your own making, Kylie. Take it from someone who knows. Good men are hard to find, so if you meet one who's interested, you better grab him, hold on tight and not let go."

Later that night Kylie got into bed, wrestling with the knowledge that the main reason she didn't want to go on that camping trip was because of her growing feelings for Chance. She had to finally admit those growing feelings to herself after having lunch with Lena.

Their discussion had made her realize two things. She found Chance attractive and s.e.xy, and thought he had a body that was all that and a bag of chips. But there was more to him than that. He'd already proven that he was dependable, unlike Sam and her father. When Chance and his girlfriend had been faced with a teen pregnancy, instead of leaving her in a fix like Sam had done to her, Chance had done the n.o.ble, honorable and responsible thing. He'd made whatever changes the situation called for to make a home for his wife and child. She could tell by his relationship with Marcus that he was a good father and from what she read in the business section of the Charlotte Observer Charlotte Observer, he was also a highly respected businessman. And she wanted to believe if he had shown up at her shop that day to tell her that their kids were involved in an unplanned pregnancy versus a plot to cut school, he would be angry, true enough, but nothing would make him turn his back on his only child, as her father and mother had done to her.

She sighed. One of the problems she was having trouble coming to terms with was the knowledge that their relationship-if they could call it that-had developed because of their kids. She doubted they would have met any other way. There was a strong possibility that if they'd been in the same room together at any given function, he wouldn't have given her a second look. So in her mind their meeting was a twist of fate rather than by their own choosing.

She jerked her head off the pillow at the sound of the phone ringing. The last time she had gotten a call this late it had been Chance. Sensations raced through her at that possibility and she quickly reached over and picked up the phone. "h.e.l.lo."

"Sorry to call so late," Lena was saying. "But I forgot to mention today that the American Cancer Society is sponsoring their annual ball and I'm on the committee. The price of the tickets is high but it's all for a worthy cause, of course. Would you like one?"

Before Kylie could answer, Lena quickly inserted, "In fact you can get two if you like and bring a date."

"I'll take one ticket, Lena," Kylie said softly, hoping Lena didn't pick up the disappointment in her voice. A part of her had hoped the caller was Chance. She hadn't seen or talked to him since Sunday, which was three days ago.

"Sure you don't want two?"

Kylie rolled her eyes. "No, I only want one one ticket, Lena. I won't have a date that night. Will that be a problem? I either come alone or not at all." ticket, Lena. I won't have a date that night. Will that be a problem? I either come alone or not at all."

"No, that won't be a problem but I was hoping there was someone you could ask. Someone like Chance, perhaps?"

Kylie sighed. She knew where this conversation was leading and wasn't in the mood. "No. Only one ticket, Lena. Good night." She then hung up the phone.

A few seconds later, before Kylie could reclaim her comfortable position in bed, the phone rang again. She frowned. There were times when Lena was worse than a dog with a bone. She didn't know when to let up.

s.n.a.t.c.hing the phone, not giving her best friend a chance to say anything, Kylie said, "Look, Lena, forget it. There's no way I'm going to ask Chance to go with me."