“Yeah.”

“What about it?”

Adam hesitated, then said, “I’ve got this new assistant.”

Brandon nodded. “She’s very hot.”

“You’ve seen her?” Cameron turned to Adam. “When did he get to see her?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “He hasn’t seen her.”

“No,” Brandon said, “but I’ve talked to her on the phone. Her voice is very hot.”

“So?” Cameron turned to Adam. “Is she hot or what?”

Adam shook his head as he added more seasonings to the meat. His brothers were nothing if not predictable when it came to women. “Yeah, she’s hot. That’s the problem.”

“I don’t really see that as a problem,” Cameron said, grinning. “But that’s just me.”

Brandon chuckled, then took a sip of beer.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” Cameron shrugged. “So what does your hot assistant have to do with Mom and…” He stopped, stared at Adam, then Brandon, then back to Adam. “No way,” he whispered in amazement.

“Way, bro,” Brandon said, nodding sagely.

“She wouldn’t,” Cameron said. “Would she?”

“Wouldn’t she?” Adam asked. “We are talking about Sally Duke, right? The woman known far and wide as the Steel Camellia?”

“Right,” Brandon said, then added, “the woman everyone in town calls when they need to accomplish the impossible.”

“But…how?” Cameron thought for another few seconds, then asked, “Wait a minute. You already have an assistant. Where’s Cheryl?”

“She quit,” Adam said flatly.

“Cheryl quit?” Cameron frowned at the chili, then glanced at Adam. “What’s happening with the Fantasy Mountain opening?”

“Trish hit the ground running with that project,” he said, realizing again that no matter what her reason was for being in his office, she was damn good at her job. “She’s got it covered.”

“Trish. Your new assistant.”

“Yeah.”

“So she’s good.”

“She’s excellent.”

“Where’d you find her?”

Adam paused, then admitted, “The floater pool.”

Cameron whipped around. “What?”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Brandon said.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Cameron’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure you do.”

“Does she know what she’s doing?” Brandon asked.

“Completely,” Adam said as he pulled a cookie sheet from one drawer and wax paper from another. “Possibly better than Cheryl.”

“Wow,” Brandon said. “Cheryl was great.”

“I know.”

Again Cameron stared at the chili, deep in thought, as though chili beans might hold the secrets of the universe. You just never knew, Adam thought.

Finally, Cameron looked up and said, “So let me get this straight. You think Mom got Trish a job as a floater, then arranged for Cheryl to quit, then made sure Marjorie put Trish in her place in hopes that you might fall…?”

“When you say it out loud, it sounds pretty farfetched,” Brandon admitted as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

Adam bit back an expletive as he formed the first hamburger patty. He watched Cameron stir the chili some more as his brother tried to work out this conundrum.

Cameron added a bit more salt while he muttered, “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, it’s Mom,” Brandon said, slouching in his chair as he took a long sip of beer.

“I know,” Cameron said. “I’m trying to work out all the angles, but I’m coming up with nothing. There’s no way she could’ve pulled this off. It’s impossible.”

“You sure?” Adam said, his eyes narrowing. Cameron always weighed the odds, studied all the angles. If he said it was impossible…

“I’m absolutely sure.” Cameron nodded with conviction. “I mean, Mom’s good, but that’s really out there.”

“Yeah, I know, but…” Adam pounded another lump of hamburger meat into submission and put it on the cookie sheet. “I can’t help feeling it’s all a little too coincidental.”

“You’re right,” Cameron said as he added more salt and chili powder to the pot. “But how could she have arranged everything? The scenario borders on labyrinthine.”

Brandon’s eyebrows shot up. “Labyrinthine. Nice.”

“Thanks,” Cameron said with a nod. “Bottom line, it’s impossible.”

When the kitchen door opened and Sally popped inside, Adam couldn’t help but grin. With her platinum-blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, their mother looked like a teenager in pink shorts, a white tank top and purple flip-flops. “I’m going to set the table, and the girls need more sangria.”

“I’ll bring another pitcher out in a minute, Mom,” Brandon said.

“Thanks, sweetie.” Sally began pulling knives and forks out of the drawer, then glanced around at each of the men. “What are you boys cooking up in here?”

Brandon gave her a look of complete innocence. “Chili, Mom.”

Sally eyed him suspiciously, then looked at Adam. “Is that all?”

“I was just bringing them up to speed on Fantasy Mountain,” Adam said. “We’ll be out in a minute.”

“I hope so.” She grabbed napkins from another drawer and crossed to the backdoor. “It’s a beautiful day outside and I don’t want you spending it inside talking shop.”

“Yes, Mom,” all three men said in unison.

As soon as the door shut, Cameron said, “Where were we?”

“Mom’s diabolical plot to take over the world as we know it,” Brandon said, and pointed his beer bottle at Cameron. “You were saying it’s impossible, but Adam still thinks it’s a little too coincidental.”

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” Adam said.

“You can blame that on Brandon,” Cameron said, grinning.

“Hey,” Brandon said, straightening up. “I’m not paranoid, I’m just vigilant.”

Cameron’s smile faded as he leaned against the stove and crossed his arms. “I want to be clear. When I said it was impossible, I meant that there’s no way Mom or Marjorie could’ve convinced Cheryl to quit. But we all know how determined Mom can be, so it’s entirely possible that she had Marjorie scoping out the scene at DDI for possible replacements that might come up at any time, in any of our offices. They could’ve planted Trish in the floater pool with the intention of using her on any of us.”

“And they got lucky with Cheryl,” Adam finished.

“Exactly,” Cameron said.

“I told you Mom was recruiting her friends to help her,” Brandon reminded them. “This is sounding more and more plausible by the minute.”

“Dammit.” Adam looked at his brothers, each in turn, then said, “Somehow, some way, Mom’s behind this. And if she is, then Trish is a willing participant. Which means, my brothers, she’s fair game.”

Brandon laughed. “You’re gonna turn the tables on her.”

“That’s my plan,” Adam said. “I figure if she’s looking to seduce me, I’m going to head her off at the pass. I’ll seduce her. Then, I’ll let her know I’m in on her scheme with Mom just before I cut her loose.”

“It’s good,” Cameron said with an approving nod. “I like it.”

“It’ll work,” Brandon agreed with a look at Adam. “As long as you don’t slip up.”

Adam pierced him with a look. “Please.”

“Hey, it’s not just you on the chopping block here, bro. If Mom succeeds with you, the two of us are next. You’re fighting this battle not just for the Dukes, but for all mankind.”

“Amen,” Cameron told him.

Brandon stared out the window at their mother and her friends laughing and talking. “They’re probably toasting their victory as we speak.”

Cameron snorted. “A bit premature to be celebrating, don’t you think?”

“Trust me,” Adam said through gritted teeth. “They’re doomed for disappointment.”

Five

“We’re cleared for takeoff, Mr. Duke.”

“Thanks, Pamela.”

As the older flight attendant disappeared behind the partition that separated the passenger compartment from the galley, Adam glanced at Trish sitting next to him. Her face was pale but still lovely. She wore a severe navy business suit with a plain white blouse, yet still managed to appear feminine and sexy. His fingers itched to peel that suit off her as soon as humanly possible. “All buckled up, Trish?”

“Um…” She rechecked the buckle she’d checked six or eight times already. “Yes.”

“Good.” He glanced at his watch. “We should be there in an hour or so. We can use the time now to discuss the opening-night situation. Did you bring your notes?”

“Yes.” She licked her lips as the jet engines began to roar and the powerful Gulfstream G650 moved into position on the runway. “But if you don’t mind, I need a minute or two.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said, closing her eyes. “I just need a minute.”

She gripped the armrests tightly as the jet picked up speed.

“I thought you weren’t afraid of flying,” he said.

Her jaw clenched. “Not afraid, just alert.”

“If you were any more alert, you’d be spinning.”

“My seat belt’s on,” she pointed out. “I won’t spin very far.”

He leaned in and whispered. “I hope not. I need you right here next to me.”

Her eyes sprang open and she glared at him. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Maybe. Is it working?”

She closed her eyes and settled back. “No.”

“I could try harder,” he said softly.

“Please don’t,” she murmured, biting her lower lip. “I’m trying to concentrate.”

“On what? Keeping the plane up?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” he said as he leaned his head back against the headrest. “In fact, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Trish said. Her eyes remained closed but a ghost of a smile formed on her lips.

Without thinking, Adam touched her hand to gauge how tense she really was. She immediately grabbed hold of his hand and held on for dear life.

He watched her face as the luxurious private jet soared to cruising altitude. Her demeanor remained serene but her grip on his hand grew more taut until he thought she might cut off the circulation to his fingers.