Lexie walked to Charlotte’s side, placing her hand on her frail back. “What’s got you so upset?”
“Nothing.” Her grandmother waved her hand, dismissing Lexie’s concern. “I’m fine. Seeing that ring was a surprise that brought back memories. I’m okay now.”
Not convinced, Lexie narrowed her gaze and studied her grandmother. Charlotte looked paler than she had earlier, though it was hard to tell beneath the heavy foundation and rouge she wore.
“Grandma? Was the ring part of the original set?” she asked.
Charlotte looked away. “I’m suddenly tired.” Her grandmother let out a heavy, clearly forced sigh.
Lexie wondered what in the world was going on. Something about the ring on television had upset her grandmother, but she didn’t want to discuss it. Not even with Lexie.
Hmm. “Well, we can pick up your lesson tomorrow,” Lexie said. “Why don’t you go lie down?”
“I think I’ll do that.”
Lexie started to gather her things together. “I have to go out and meet Claudia about our newest client,” Lexie told her grandmother. “I may be late, so don’t wait up. I have my key.”
Claudia Milne, a self-taught computer genius, did most of the coding for the sites Lexie designed. She lived, ate and breathed HTML and Lexie thanked her lucky stars they’d met on the plane ride from Israel to New York after Lexie’s first Middle East trip five years ago.
A wanderer by nature, Lexie had the enviable ability to do her job from anywhere. She saw no reason to lease an apartment in between travels when she could stay in her grandmother’s spare bedroom whenever she was in town. Charlotte loved having Lexie over and Lexie appreciated being able to do things for her grandmother when she was around.
“What site are you working on now?” her grandmother asked. Charlotte was always interested in Lexie’s client list, and often offered input on design. Most of which Lexie politely ignored.
“Athlete’s Only. The Jordan sisters and Yank Morgan asked for an overhaul,” she said of the sports and PR powerhouse agency—and Lexie’s first client when she’d started her own Web design business.
“Isn’t it late for a meeting? Do I need to call Yank and tell him they’re overworking you?” Charlotte asked.
Lexie and Yank Morgan were old friends. They’d met during her childhood spent at the skating rink. And thanks to that friendship, Lexie had garnered her first major client in need of a high-tech Web site and entrée into the prestigious and lucrative sports world.
As a result, Lexie’s portfolio now included an array of sports-oriented clients, from sport drinks to sports teams—much to the surprise of her parents, who had at one time tried to mold their daughter into a competitive ice skater.
To their never-ending dismay, Lexie had rebelled against the rigid, competitive world of schedules and conformity. The only good that had come from those years was her grandmother’s friendship with Yank. Charlotte and Yank shared a love of unconventional eccentricity. They also understood the notion of being true to oneself, and together they’d convinced Lexie’s parents to stop pushing their desires onto their daughter.
Lexie would be forever grateful to Yank for that, and for his belief in her Web-design talent. “Grandma, I never mind working late. Don’t you dare say a word.” Evening meetings suited Lexie’s lifestyle perfectly.
When Charlotte didn’t reply, Lexie turned toward her, but the older woman had already disappeared into the bedroom. To lie down? She’d been distracted since seeing the ring on television. Obviously, the piece had hit a sentimental nerve.
As Lexie gathered her laptop and her bag, she caught sight of her grandmother’s wall calendar—and the date circled in red. August twenty-eighth, Charlotte’s 80th birthday. Lexie had been racking her brain for something different and personal she could get her grandmother as a gift.
The matching ring provided the perfect answer, and her thoughts immediately turned to the reluctant if sexy man who currently held it in his possession. He’d clearly been hesitant to accept anything from the store owner. Maybe he’d be willing to sell the ring.
Lexie was excited by the prospect of being able to give such a personal gift to her grandmother for her birthday. Now all she had to do was meet the current owner and convince him to part with his new possession.
CHAPTER TWO
IT WAS DAYS before Lexie could even think of contacting Sam Cooper. The day after she’d seen the ring on the news, one of her clients had a huge update that they wanted to go live with, so she’d been holed up indoors. The next day, her grandmother had a dental appointment and she’d asked Lexie to go along.
Finally, this morning she’d made the newspaper offices her first stop, only to discover that a guard at the security desk refused to let her up without an appointment. The man said that that reporter had been inundated by women seeking to talk to him and that he had strict orders not to let any man-hungry, money-seeking women near him.
Sam Cooper was better protected than the president. Didn’t make sense to Lexie, but not even her most charming smile did the trick.
She’d tried reaching Sam Cooper by phone at the paper, but her call went straight to a recording and instead of being able to leave a message, a digital voice told her the answering machine was full. Still, Lexie was on a mission and determined to meet the man. She just hadn’t figured out how.
“What’s got you so preoccupied?” Claudia, Lexie’s right hand, asked as she joined her at her table in Starbucks for their weekly meeting.
Lexie glanced up from the laptop she hadn’t been focusing on anyway. “Good morning to you, too.”
Claudia, always the epitome of happy, sat across the table, smiling. Her light-brown hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail and soft curls escaped on either side. Although Claudia was five years younger than Lexie’s twenty-nine, she was mature and the two had struck up a strong friendship.
Lexie folded her arms and leaned forward in her seat. Drawing a deep breath, she told Claudia the story of her grandmother’s jewelry and Sam Cooper, hero, and his relationship to the ring. “So I want to buy it back, but I can’t get near the guy to introduce myself, let alone broach the subject. Why would a reporter need such heavy security?” Besides the fact that he was masculine and hot enough to still be singed into her memory banks.
Claudia laughed. “A hero wouldn’t need security but a bachelor would. I take it you haven’t read this morning’s paper? Online or otherwise?”