Beyond Business: Falling for the Boss / Her Best-Kept Secret / Mergers & Matrimony

Whoa! This was not the plan.

“I’m sorry, did you say Evan Hanson?” Meredith asked, feeling as though Helen had just punched her in the stomach.

Helen nodded absently, taking a narrow silver pen out of her drawer. “Mmm-hmm. My middle stepson, Evan.”

Meredith cleared her throat. “Forgive my saying so—perhaps the newspapers were wrong—but it was my understanding that Evan Hanson had shunned the family business and moved away. A long time ago.” Twelve years, if memory served correctly.

Helen jotted a note on a pad next to her and returned her attention to Meredith. “Yes, he was. But he’s back now, working with all of us to make Hanson Media the most successful business it can be.” She raised an eyebrow at Meredith. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

“N-no. I’m just not sure I understand.” Meredith had to back off. She didn’t want to look as if a person in the company could be her Achilles’ heel. “You want me to concentrate my efforts entirely on one division rather than the whole company?” This wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she took this job.

But now she was already committed.

“It should be an exciting challenge,” Helen said, hopefully unaware of the tension that was building in Meredith. “I think you’ll enjoy it. Yes, there will be some initial difficulties, perhaps, but once you and Evan start working together, everything should work out just fine. I have a feeling about it.”

What was she, psychic? Did she know something more than she’d revealed in the interview?

“I have to say, I’m not used to dealing with radio,” Meredith hedged, feeling a little frantic and trying to keep it out of her voice. “You might do better to have me learn the ropes there part-time while I’m also working other areas.”

“Don’t worry,” Helen said lightly. “Evan’s not used to doing anything with radio. I think, in this case, it will serve you well. Bob Smith had years of experience, but he couldn’t make a viable go of that division. So now it’s a blank canvas for you and the rest of the team to paint whatever future you want.”

Normally that would be a very appealing offer. Not this time, though. “Still, it’s hard to get by without any experience. I might be more of a detriment than an asset to a division I know nothing about.”

Helen was clearly unconcerned. “You and Evan will both have a very strong support staff under you, but I think this inexperience you’re concerned about is exactly the thing that’s going to help you think outside the box. Both of you.”

Meredith swallowed, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away. Nerves. She’d always had trouble with them. “Okay, Mrs.—Helen. Okay, Helen.” She didn’t want to do it, but she had no way out. “I’ll give it my best shot.”

Helen smiled broadly, revealing even white teeth and the kind of looks usually reserved for the covers of magazines. “Great, Meredith! I’m so glad to have you with us. I just know you’re going to do a terrific job.”

“Thanks very much. I’m thrilled to take it on.” In truth, Meredith wished she shared even half of Helen Hanson’s enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, all she felt now was a lot of insecurity about her job performance … and that was something she was definitely not used to struggling with.

It wasn’t just the job parameters: she knew how to do her work, regardless of the details. All of that had been laid out quite clearly for her, and she was comfortable in the knowledge that she could do it, and do it well.

What worried her was doing her job well when she had to do it so close to the man who’d dumped her without a backward glance.

Helen told Evan she’d hired someone new for the PR department, someone who would concentrate their efforts on promoting the new face of Hanson Broadcasting. He was glad of that, because, with the support of the previously existing staff, he’d managed to contact three notorious on-air talents, two of whom had already signed on, but he was at a complete loss about what to do to promote them.

That was where the PR department came in. They were, after all, the professionals. Radio should be easy for them. A contest here, a print ad there, that should do it. Radio was free; it sold itself. Evan’s meeting with David’s underling should only be informative, involving the plans they already had for promotion of the radio division.

At least, that was what Evan thought. Until David’s underling actually appeared at his office for their one o’clock appointment.

Meredith Waters.

Gleaming chestnut hair, with tinges of red that shone like copper in the sunlight; pale Irish skin that she’d inherited from her mother; green eyes; and a wide, generous mouth. Evan had never seen a smile so bright that could turn, in an instant, to a heart-aching sensuous curve that would drive any man to distraction.

He would have recognized her anywhere, anytime, even though he hadn’t seen her in … well, twelve and a half years. It was marked indelibly in his mind since it was the night he’d left the United States.

The night of their senior prom.

He hadn’t actually made it to the prom, of course, which was one of the reasons this meeting now was so … awkward.

The last time he’d seen Meredith Waters, it had been through her bedroom window as she’d sat in front of her vanity mirror, putting the final touches on her makeup and hair for a prom date that wasn’t going to show up.

Evan.

The image had haunted him ever since. Meredith, in a thin-strapped deep-blue dress, her pale shoulders creamy and tempting. He could feel the curve of them in his empty hands.

Even then, but certainly now, he recognized what a sweet, innocent beauty she was. Hers had been a difficult life, with a lot of hard knocks, despite her best efforts. Her parents, too, had suffered at the hands of fate, and, unfortunately, at the hands of George Hanson, even though they were good people who deserved better.

Evan thought she’d do better without him around.

Apparently, it hadn’t turned out that way. And by the time he knew what had happened, it was far too late for him to come back and make things better.

He wished he’d had the advantage of wisdom then that he had now.

Instead of rising to the occasion, he’d left. It was soon after his mother had died, and the rawness of that loss probably contributed to his confusion. No one to run interference for him. No one to offer even an iota of warmth to the house that had never entirely felt like home.

Evan knew if he’d stayed he would have gotten as bitter and mean as the old man—they were so much alike in other ways it was practically a shoo-in—so rather than doing that to Meredith and himself, he’d just moved on.

Until this moment he hadn’t stopped to regret his decision.

“Hello, Evan,” she said, her voice smooth and modulated. It was familiar but, at the same time, unfamiliar. “It’s been a long time.”

He was as paralyzed with surprise—no, shock—as he would be if he’d been looking at a ghost. In a way, in fact, he felt like he was. He felt like he should say something profound, but only one word came to mind.

“Meredith?”

She nodded, but no smile touched that beautiful mouth. “You recognize me.”

“Of course I recognize you. You look.” Beautiful. Stunning.

Haunting.

“You look the same as you always did.” But she didn’t. She didn’t look the same at all. She looked like a sleek, sophisticated version of her old self.

This was awkward. Really awkward.

But Evan still didn’t know what to say. Unfortunately the momentary uncomfortable pauses weren’t buying him enough time to come up with something pithy.

She smiled. And for just a moment, he could see the high-school girl inside the woman.

“Clearly you weren’t expecting to see me.” There wasn’t a trace of self-consciousness in her voice. “I was hoping Ms. Hanson would have let you know I was coming.”

This wasn’t making any sense. “Ms. Hanson?”

“Yes, Helen Hanson.” Meredith nodded. “She just hired me in PR and has asked me to assist you in promoting this division.”