Free Lone Star Millionaire by Susan Mallery Page B

abortion. She didn’t get into drugs much, but she loves her liquor.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said.
    â€œNothing to be sorry for. I survived. Look at where the company is now. We’re earning four times what we did when my father was still alive.”
    â€œBut that doesn’t make up for the past.”
    She saw too much. In an effort to distract her, or maybe because he needed the connection, he took her free hand in his.
    Her skin was smooth, her nails short and neatly filed. She didn’t resist the contact, nor did she encourage him by responding. He was, he knew, getting close to a line he’d nevercrossed with her. For one thing, he refused to be his father, who had been forever after the hired help. For another, he respected Sabrina too much to play games with her.
    But this wasn’t a game. Maybe it was Anastasia. Maybe it was that they’d been working together for so long. Whatever the reason, lately he’d been feeling that he needed Sabrina. Thank the Lord she was happy in her work. He would never get through this without her.
    â€œThink there’s a class in parenting I can take?” he asked.
    She laughed. “Sure, but it’s going to be about dealing with newborns. Most people learn to be a parent while their offspring learn to be kids. You’re jumping in the middle. Give yourself a break, Cal, and don’t expect perfection the first time.”
    â€œI don’t expect anything close to that. I just don’t want to screw up too badly.”
    â€œI promise to point out any gross errors.”
    â€œI bet you can’t wait. You always get a kick out of telling me I’m wrong.”
    â€œI know.” She sighed. “One would think I would get tired of that, what with you giving me so many opportunities.”
    The insult sunk in and he squeezed her fingers. Not enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention. “You, little lady, are being disrespectful.”
    â€œYou, Mr. John Wayne wannabe, earned it.”
    Her smile was contagious. Cal felt some of his tension ease. He’d never failed at anything in his life. There was no reason to think he couldn’t have a good relationship with his daughter.
    Sabrina freed her hand and tucked her short hair behind her ear. In the soft overhead light, she looked younger than thirty. While she wasn’t his type, she was pretty enough. Her mind was razor sharp and a constant challenge. She was funny, sensitive and easy to be with.
    â€œSo why aren’t you married?” he asked.
    Sabrina stared at him. “Excuse me?”
    â€œYou’ve been working for me for over six years and I’ve never once heard you mention having a man in your life. Why?”
    â€œI don’t have time.”
    â€œThat’s a crock. You have evenings and weekends off, not to mention four weeks of vacation a year.”
    â€œCal! Be serious. I’m usually with you until you leave for your dinner date, which means seven or seven-thirty. A lot of times, I still have more work to do. We travel constantly. More weekends than not I’m in the office, or following you around some event. As for vacation, last year I took two long weekends to visit my family. According to Ada, I’ve accrued about ninety-seven vacation days.”
    Had he really been working her that much? “You could have said something.”
    â€œI’m not complaining, I’m stating facts. The truth is, I haven’t minded. I knew what the job would be like when I took it. For the past few years, career has been more important to me. When that changes, I’ll do something about it.”
    â€œJust don’t take those ninety-seven days all at once. Everything would fall apart.” And he would miss her. Cal pushed that thought away.
    â€œI won’t, I promise.”
    â€œSo there’s no one who’s caught your eye? No young executive or engineer in the company?”
    She covered