Meet Mr. Prince / Once a Cowboy...: Meet Mr. Prince. Patricia Thayer

not a saint, Zach. I just … I don’t know. Every time I look at Emma, I realize how much she’s missed. Is missing.”

      “I know.”

      “I mean, everyone worries about Katie, and of course, they should. She’s still hurting. But at least she remembers Jenny. But Emma … she was only a year old when Jenny died. Her memories are gone.”

      “I know,” he said again.

      “If I can give her any of that, I want to. And Peter agrees with me.” Her voice softened. “He loves Emma, too.”

      Zach was eternally grateful that Sabrina had married such a stellar man in Peter Norlund. Peter, a respected radiologist at New York Presbyterian, was exactly the sort of man Zach would have chosen for his sister. Generous, thoughtful, intelligent and kind—he was everything a husband and father should be.

      “Well,” Sabrina said, “I know you’re busy. I just wanted to make sure it was okay to keep Emma overnight.”

      Once again, Zach sat looking at the phone after terminating the call. Only this time he felt good. In fact, he felt so good he decided everything else on his work agenda could wait. He would surprise Katie and go home earlier than expected. Maybe they’d get in several games of chess.

      But first he’d give Georgie a heads-up, just in case Jonathan Pierce called back.

      Georgie looked up from her computer when Zach knocked on the doorframe. Zach quickly gave her a rundown on Pierce’s phone call. “I just wanted you to be prepared in case he calls back. I’m going to tell Deborah to route him through to you, because I’m leaving for the day.”

      Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall for a second. Zach knew she was remembering that he’d told Katie he’d be home by six. It was only four o’clock.

      “Okay,” she said. Then she smiled. “And don’t worry. I can handle him.”

      Zach smiled back. “There was never any doubt in my mind.”

      In fact, Zach thought as he rode the elevator down to the lobby level, from what he’d seen of Georgie, she could handle anything.

      Probably including him.

      Chapter Six

      Zach hadn’t been gone from the office ten minutes when Deborah buzzed Georgie to say Jonathan Pierce was on the line. “And he’s not happy,” she warned.

      Georgie grimaced. He’d be even less happy after they talked.

      She pressed a button. “Georgie Fairchild.”

      “There’s been some mistake, Miss Fairchild,” he ground out. “I asked to speak with Zach.”

      “I’m sorry, Dr. Pierce. He’s gone for the day.” She waited a heartbeat before adding, “May I help you?”

      “Do I have a choice?”

      “Look, I get it that you’re not happy I’m now in charge of the Carlyle Children’s Cancer Center application. You made that very clear earlier today, but—”

      “Not happy? I consider it absolutely outrageous that I’ve been foisted off on some underling.”

      If his voice got any frostier, it would rival the temperature of the Arctic. She decided not to make a point of the fact he’d interrupted her or that he was beyond rude. Keeping her own voice pleasant, she said, “Despite your reservations, I believe we can work together. Unless, of course, you’ve decided to withdraw your grant application?”

      A long moment pregnant with tension passed before he spoke again. “How long are we supposed to wait before you make a final decision?” he said stiffly.

      Georgie stifled the impulse to smile. She knew he wouldn’t be able to see a smile, but perhaps he would sense it. “I expect to have my recommendation ready by the end of the week.”

      “I see.”

      She knew he wouldn’t complain because he had probably thought she’d take much longer than that. “In fact,” she added, “I’ve finished going over all the paperwork given to us so far. Now all that’s left is last quarter’s financial report, which Ms. Love has promised will be in my hands no later than Wednesday.”

      “You’ll call me immediately upon making your decision.”

      Now Georgie did smile. “Absolutely. You’ll be the first to know.”

      Pierce said a terse goodbye without thanking her. But Georgie hadn’t expected thanks. It was enough that he had been made to realize that he wasn’t calling the shots.

      She was, whether he liked it or not.

      It normally gave Georgie no pleasure to brandish her power over applicants, but in the case of Jonathan Pierce, that rule didn’t hold true. It gave her a great deal of pleasure to knock that supercilious man down a peg or two. If he hadn’t been such a pain in the butt, she would have told him that unless the cancer center’s last quarterly financial report showed some discrepancy, their application was all but approved now. That she was making him wait (and sweat a bit, she hoped) was exactly what he deserved for his immature behavior.

      She wished Zach were still here, so she could tell him about the conversation. Instead, she sent him an email saying she’d like to meet with him in the morning. She added the teaser, to tell you about my conversation with Jonathan Pierce. She smiled, thinking how much Zach would enjoy hearing about the exchange.

      Less than thirty minutes later, her email program alerted her to new mail from Zachary Prince.

      If you don’t have plans for the evening, he wrote, maybe you’d like to come for dinner. Fanny made stuffed pork chops. We can talk about Pierce then.

      Georgie was so surprised, she had to read the message twice to make sure she hadn’t made it up. She immediately wrote back. I don’t have any plans. What time shall I come?

      A minute later he answered, saying, Great. Let’s say six-thirty. See you then.

      Georgie didn’t know what had prompted the invitation, but she’d have been lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to the evening. Now that she had changed her opinion of Zach, she could actually admit she enjoyed his company. And, if she was being completely honest (oh, Joanna would laugh at her!), she did enjoy looking at him.

      “Well, you look awfully pleased with yourself,” Deborah said from the open doorway.

      Georgie jumped.

      Deborah laughed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. So what did the great man say?”

      For a moment, Georgie thought Deborah was referring to Zach, and she couldn’t think what to answer. But then she realized Deborah meant Jonathan Pierce when she’d said “great man.” “He tried to intimidate me by saying he didn’t want to work with me … again. I guess he thought if he said it enough times—especially with Zach not there to protect me—I’d cower or something.”

      Deborah grinned. “I’ve only known you a few days, and I already know you’re not the sort of person to cower … for anyone.” She shook her head. “Wonder how men like Jonathan Pierce get to be that way? Think they have domineering fathers? Who maybe treated their mothers like serfs? Or maybe treated them like serfs?”

      Georgie shrugged. “Beats me. I’m no psychologist.”

      “Well, I’m glad you showed the good doc he can’t push you around, with or without Zach.” Deborah glanced at her watch. “It’s almost quitting time.” Looking up, she smiled. “Hey, if you don’t have plans for the evening, want to come and have dinner with me and my son? Jack’s in Cleveland on business, and it’s just me and Kevin tonight. Nothing fancy, though. We’re having spaghetti and meatballs.”

      “Oh, thanks,