Free The Glass Shoe by Kay Hooper

reservations for himself—and a guest, unnamed. He was asked to notify the ranch directly, to give Penny the guest's name and both arrival times."
    Amanda drew a breath. "Could Fortune have planned so far in advance? The reservations were made months ago. How could he have been so sure of getting the patent from Dunbar?"
    "He couldn't have been," Edward said immediately. "The system wasn't even ready then. It has to be a fluke, Amanda. When Fortune made the reservations, we didn't own the ranch. He got the rights to the patent, then invited Ryder Foxx to be his guest and talk about it."
    "All right, so it's a fluke. But what now? I can't make Fortune an offer for the patent, Uncle Edward. I just can't."
    "Why not? You're empowered—"
    "That isn't it. Look, Cyrus Fortune knows you own the ranch because your office communicated with him about the renovations. Right?"
    "Right."
    "But Ryder Foxx doesn't know. The ranch is officially owned by a subsidiary based in Texas, the same one that owns the ranch down there. The Wilderman name isn't even connected to this place. I mean, granted, Ryder could have found out easily enough, but why would he? He believes he's just here to meet a man and talk about a business deal."
    "So?" Edward asked.
    "So Cyrus Fortune had to know that you'd know where he was as soon as the news broke about the patent. And since you own this place, he wouldn't doubt that you—or I—would send someone out here to make him an offer. It may have started out as a fluke, but what if Fortune's planning to take advantage of the situation?"
    "You mean play you and Ryder Foxx against each other?"
    "Why not? Maybe he's interested in a little healthy competition. And how do you suppose Ryder will feel when he discovers he's on Wilderman property with the owner of Wilderman Electronics here as well?"
    "Outgunned," Edward said dryly.
    "And I'm using Mother's name," Amanda said. "It looks so damned deceitful."
    "It's just a series of flukes, Amanda. That we bought the ranch, that I sent you out there, and that you tend to use your mother's name."
    "In Ryder's place, would you believe that?"
    After a moment he said, "Probably not."
    "Neither would I."
    "Look, honey, the man understands competition. I realize the patent could mean expansion for him, but—"
    "It would mean the same thing for us. But Uncle Edward, it's Ryder's chance to establish his company as an important presence in the electronics industry."
    "Amanda, are you seriously saying that you plan to stand by without lifting a finger and watch Ryder Foxx acquire the rights to a system that would put his company at least five years ahead of your own?"
    Softly she said, "Wilderman could play catch-up for five years with no major damage. I don't think Foxfire could."
    His own voice softened, Edward said, "That's not a very businesslike decision, honey."
    "I know."
    "Are you going to tell him who you are?"
    She laughed a bit shakily. "What choice do I have? Ten to one Cyrus Fortune will know, and I can't see him keeping a piece of information like that to himself. He's supposed to arrive on Friday, so I have today and tomorrow. I'd rather that Ryder find out from me. But I just don't know how to tell him."
    "I get the feeling that Sam's matchmaking struck a few sparks this time. Am I right?"
    "It doesn't matter."
    "Maybe it does matter. Amanda, I've met Ryder Foxx. He's ambitious, even ruthless to a certain extent. But he's honest, and he fights fair. He's had chances to marry money if he wanted take the easy way. But he didn't. I don't believe he ever would. And I'll tell you something else I don't believe he'll do."
    "What?"
    "I don't believe he'll take the easy way this time. Once he knows who you are, I think hell expect you to go after those rights just as hard as he."
    Amanda put a great deal of faith in her uncle's judgments about people; he was seldom off on his perceptions and intuitions. And her own instincts had been telling her the same things about