“You rented a car?” Khalil's sardonic look was beginning to lift. “Well, at least you’re showing some class. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to hop on the bus.”
“Give the guy a break,” Lion said, jumping to Rafe’s defense. “Just because a man has money it doesn’t mean he has to flaunt it.”
“Well said.” Rafe gave a nod of approval. “Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a car to pick up.”
“And a lady to see,” Khalil said with a knowing grin.
Lion shook his head. “Khal, for some reason I think we’re going to be in this town a lot longer than planned.”
Khalil gave him a disdainful look. “Ya think?”
Rafe didn’t wait to hear more. He just walked out, leaving his friends in his room. They’d either chill there or head back to their own rooms. He didn’t care. He had other, more interesting business to think about.
He picked up the car and got to the Coleman School a good twenty minutes before the bell was scheduled to ring. He knew because he’d made sure to check it out online. Now all he had to do was sit tight until dismissal time and then make his way to the main office. It had been easy for Anya to turn him down on the phone but face to face? That would be another matter…because Rafe Kent wasn’t used to being turned down.
He was flipping channels on the radio and had just landed on Radio Bremen when the ringing of his cell phone made him groan. What did Lion and Khalil want now? If they were calling to ask him to pick up chips and soda on the way back he’d kill them.
But when he glanced at the screen the name he saw was one that hadn’t popped up in weeks. And he knew this wasn’t going to be a fun call. With Ransom, it never was. His older brother could always find a reason to chew him out. Suppressing a sigh, he swiped his finger across the bottom of the screen. “ ‘Sup, Ran.”
“ ‘Sup, Ran? After three weeks of silence that’s all you have to say to me?” As usual, Ransom was not in a chirpy mood. Maybe it had something to do with being in your thirties. Or maybe it was because he was a married man now. Whatever it was, Rafe wished he would lighten up.
“I was busy,” Rafe said then waited for his brother’s reprimand. Ransom was thirty-five and boring as hell. He would never understand the need to get away from the humdrum of business and just air your head out for a while.
“Busy traipsing all over Europe while your business in the United States is floundering?” Ransom’s words were heavy with disgust.
“What are you talking about? I monitor my business every day and I have a competent team of managers I communicate with. What do you think a laptop and cell phone are for?”
"It’s not the same, Rafe. You need to be more involved.”
“I’ve got this, okay? I’ve got a CEO and a COO, for Christ’s sake. What the heck do you think I pay them for?” And then, just as his annoyance with his brother began to rise, Rafe paused. “What’s this all about, Ransom? Why the concern all of a sudden?”
“All of a sudden?” Ransom gave a snort. “You’ve always been cause for concern. Ever since you came into my life when I was eight you’ve been-”
“Yeah, yeah I know. Driving you up the wall.” Rafe heaved a sigh. “So what have I done this time?”
“It’s more like what you haven't done. You haven’t been staying on top of your business and one day you’re going to learn. This is not the way to run a billion dollar enterprise. You’re almost thirty, godammit. When are you going to settle down?”
“Oh, so that’s what’s pissing you off. I’m too old to be having fun.” Rafe laughed. “Don’t hate me because my business doesn’t keep me tied to the ground like yours does. I wasn’t built for the construction business, Ransom. That’s why social media’s my thing. So I got lucky and I’m making big bucks every time people use my service to chat online. Does that mean I’m going to let it tie me to an office chair? Hell, no.”
“Now, you listen to me-”
The bell rang, loud and clanging, drowning out the rest of Ransom’s words. It was just as well. Rafe was tired of the conversation anyway – the same old story about him being a renegade, the black sheep of the family, the one who refused to take his business seriously.
But no matter what Ransom or the rest of the family said none of them could deny that he was damn successful by anybody’s standards.
When the clanging stopped he was the first to speak. It was time to end the conversation. “Listen,” he said before Ransom could get a word in, “I’ve got to go. Important meeting and all that. You know how it goes.” And before his brother could say anything more he tapped on the screen and ended the call. Ransom was probably mad he hadn’t had the last word. Oh, well.
But now Rafe had other, more important things to think about, like how to get a very beautiful but reticent lady to agree to go out with him.
Feeling optimistic, he hopped out of the car and walked up the driveway leading to the school’s main office, confident that he was looking decent enough to enquire after one of the teachers. At least he wasn’t wearing his usual scruffy jeans, loafers and army surplus jacket. His hair was still longer than was conventional but he’d pulled it back and tied it with an inconspicuous cord. He was neat and that was good enough. It had better be.
When he presented himself at the office a woman with graying hair and a friendly smile came forward to greet him. “Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?”
Rafe smiled back. “You can help me by letting Miss Petersen know that she has a visitor. Please tell her that Rafe is here to see her.”
The woman’s smile widened. “Oh, you’re American. Is Miss Petersen expecting you?”
“No, she’s not. This visit is sort of…a surprise.”
The woman raised her eyebrows but her smile did not falter. “I see. Please have a seat while I call her.”
Rafe didn’t feel like sitting. He’d felt confident just a minute earlier but now he was wound tight as a spring. Still, knowing how intimidating his six foot three height could be, he went over to the bench and sat. No sense in towering over the little lady who was trying to help him.
Making sure he looked cool and comfortable, he leaned back against the padded back and stretched his arms along the top. From the corner of his eye he could see that he was the object of much attention. The ladies in the office were throwing glances his way and there were two who were whispering their heads off. None of that mattered. There was only one woman he wanted to see right then and it was a demure damsel with wavy blonde hair.