Free The Heart of Lies by Debra Burroughs Page B

Thursday around noon. She’d been so excited. On the phone, she’d told Josh that she couldn’t wait for her son to meet the man of her dreams.
    Josh saw his mom and went to give her a big bear hug and then he politely shook Lucas’s hand.
    “I thought you’d be wearin’ your uniform,” his mother said.
    He shrugged. “It’s in my bag. I thought I’d go casual today and blend in.”
    They went to lunch at the Blue Moon Café, which gave Josh a chance to get to know his mother’s future husband. The visit was pleasant and Josh could see his mom was happier than he’d seen her in a long time.
    There had been other men, other boyfriends, but none she had committed to marry. He’d been surprised by the swiftness of their courtship and the rush to the altar, but if marrying this man was going to make her happy, he was going to be pleased for them and do his best to like her new man.
    Once lunch was over, Lucas said he needed to get back to work. Josh thought he might drop by Lucas’s office later and have a man-to-man talk with him, without his mother there. In private, he would be able to talk more freely with Lucas.
    ~*~
    Late that afternoon, Lucas sat at the desk in his office going over the Excel spreadsheets he had spent hours designing to keep track of the condo units and the sales. Twenty-nine units sold that first night . He looked at the screen with a satisfied grin.
    “Total sales of nine million, four hundred and fifty thousand,” he said as Fiona walked into his office from the front area where she worked.
    “So how much in deposits from Tuesday night’s meeting?”
    “Let’s see…at twenty-five percent…that would be two million, three hundred sixty-two thousand and five hundred dollars.”
    “That’s a lot of money, Lucas.”
    “I thought I’d have to hang out in this town and make friends with these people before they’d trust me enough to invest, but I guess we were right in picking Maggie and Sully as our connections.”
    “Maybe it’s not Maggie or Sully at all. Maybe it’s just that these people were ripe for a new resort nearby, somewhere new and exciting to spend their time and money.”
    “You could be right. I think we can get another forty or so under contract after our trip up the mountain next week, which should be more than double our haul. At least a handful more by the time the wedding rolls around and then we’re out of here.”
    “Have you heard from the boss lately?” Fiona asked.
    “No, but I’m sure our progress reports are expected. Even though the boss came up with the initial idea, I’m doing most of the work.”
    “Hey! What am I? Chopped liver?”
    “Sorry, babe, I just meant—”
    “I know what you meant, that you’re the top dog and I’m here to back you up, handle all the finances, and watch you romance another woman.” She turned her face away.
    “It’s just a role I’m playing. You can’t think I’m actually falling for Maggie.”
    “I don’t know what to think,” she snapped, turning back to face him, “but you’re making it look awfully believable. It’s hard for me to watch.”
    “Do you think we’d be raking in millions if I didn’t make it look believable?” he shot back. “You think her brother would have invested in this project if he thought for a nanosecond that I was a fraud?” His voice rose with irritation at having to explain this all to her again.
    “You’re right,” Fiona said, waving her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry.” She walked around behind him and began to gently massage his shoulders. “I just love you so much.”
    “You shouldn’t be doing that. Someone could walk in and see us.”
    “I know. I just need to touch you.”
    “Keep your eye on the prize. In two weeks, you and I will be sipping mojitos on the beach with millions in the bank, leaving Paradise Valley, and the boss, in the dust.”
    Fiona leaned her head down next to Lucas’s.
    “Lucas!” Josh hollered from the doorway. He had