Page 111 of Sapphire Sunset

“What I care about is my son,” she said. “And you’re now onfilm making out with your security director.”

“We wouldn’t be the first people to fall for each other atwork.”

“You don’t just work together. He’s your subordinate.”

“Yeah, that’s not how it plays out in the shower,” Connorgrumbled.

“I need you to be a grown-up about this.”

“Oh, believe me. They’re very grown-up showers.”

“Being crude is not going to throw me off my game here.”

“Oh, come on, Mother. You taught high school for twentyyears. A plane could crash into you and it wouldn’t throw you off your game.You have to at least let me try every now and then.”

“Not now, and not over this.”

“Maybe I’m not in the mood for a lecture right now.”

“And you know exactly how this works. Stop interrupting andit will go by quicker.”

“I get it,” he finally said. “You don’t trust me to handlethis relationship in addition to everything else.”

“How long has this been going on between you two?”

“That’s…such a complicated question.”

“Good. Give it a complicated answer. I’m all ears. And I’llknow if you leave something out, so don’t even try.”

And so he started at the beginning, and by the time he wasfinished, his mother’s anger had softened into something that seemed morecomplex and more confused. He was jittery about his closing, but he knew hecouldn’t live with himself if he didn’t give voice to it.

“And I’m sorry to put it like this, but you owe Logan anapology, Mom. He saved a child’s life this morning, and you treated him likehe’s the Whore of Babylon.”

“On one condition. Find a way to make it so that you’re nolonger his boss,” she said.

Connor felt his heartbeat thread. “You’re not telling me tofire him.”

“No.”

“What are you saying then?” Connor asked, thinking of LoisPenry and outside security firms and how his mother’s schoolteacher’s mind alwayshad a sixth sense for unpleasant but often essential solutions.

“Move departments around. Work with the bank. You run thisplace now. You’re smart. I’m sure there’s something you can figure out.”

“You really think what’s going on between me and Logan willdamage the hotel?”

“I don’t give a damn if it damages thehotel,Connor. Sure, I want you to have a shot at saving this place. But if it doesn’twork, and he is who you say he is, I want you to have a shot at Logan too.Especially if Rodney was the reason you didn’t the first time. And just a fewmore days of being his boss in this pressure cooker, you’ll both be kneecappedbefore you can take to the field.”

He saw the logic in her argument. But he wasn’t sure if hebelieved her. Something was working between Logan and Connor, something thatwas larger than their kisses and their orgasms. They were building something,saving something, together, and this might be the glue for whatever wasdeveloping between them.

But when it came to his mom, he knew how to recognize a winwhen he saw one.

“Mom, I’ve got to meet the new security agents Logan hiredthis morning. I don’t mean to cut this short, given the canary yellow. But I amactually quite busy.”

When Connor stood, it was mostly a test to see if his motherwould object. She stared at him, a blend of frustration and what might be guiltin her expression.

He bent down and gave his mother a kiss on the forehead. “You’rea tough old broad, Mrs. Harcourt.”

“Watch who you’re calling a broad. Old I’ll take. Old meansyou had the strength to stick around.” As he went to stand up again, she gentlygripped his hand and looked up into his eyes. “But remember this, my son. Youwill always be more important to me than this place. Always.”

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