“Who are you hiding from now, Hallie? Some poor unsuspecting victim unmanned by your culinary skill?” He had meant to tease her. Her wounded gaze had Kit feeling thoroughly disgusted with himself.He turned away sharply and went back to his desk, where he filled the silence by shuffling through some papers before he slapped them back down and rubbed his fingers across his forehead.
“Look kid, I’m sorry. Just forget about that stupid accident. I have.”
“Obviously you have not forgotten,” she said.
He took one look at her pale face and said, “Oh, for Christ’s sake, sit down.”
She stood there, still giving him an injured look of a kitty that had been kicked.
Hallie was deeply crushed. He’d called her a kid. To him she was nothing more than an irksome brat. Did she really expect him to view her differently? Two years ago she had run away, blubbering like a baby. Then what does she do? She avoids him like a green girl.
She sat.What’s wrong with me?she asked herself, realizing she had been acting immaturely. She had never been so lily-livered before. Every time she was around Kit Howland she did something stupid! Her hands would get all clammy, her head foggy, and she’d panic. When the fog cleared, she’d do the first thing that flitted through her mind. That was what always got her into trouble. Her first reaction was usually all impulse and no forethought.
Her self-derision was broken by the sound of his voice. He had been asking her something. She forced herself to look him straight in the eye, knowing that she must learn to harness her dithering reaction to this man. “Pardon me, what did you say?”
“I asked you what you’re doing here.”
His aggravated tone irritated her. He acted like she was intruding on his precious time. Wasn’t he the one who had made a mistake? Where was the money from the sale of theSea Haven’slast cargo? He was trying to intimidate her. Well, she would show him; the green girl had grown.
“Let me set you straight on a few things, Mr. Howland. Me hiding? You seem to have the ridiculous idea that I’ve been hiding from you. I have not. In fact, it seems to me to be the other way around.” Hallie realized that turning the tables on him wasn’t so hard; in fact, she was lying beautifully. “Our paths have not crossed most likely because you only showed up when I was busy elsewhere.” Hallie ended this last corker with a huff, and the indignation on her face rivaled her sister Liv’s.
“And as to the reason I’m here,” she continued, “I’ve been to the bank.” Hah! she thought, take that. She leaned back against the oak slat of the chair, waiting to see him squirm.
“You’ve been to the bank?” His looked was puzzled.
“Yes. I have.”
The silence stretched out. He looked at her as if he were waiting for an explanation. He really did think she was stupid.
“You must still think of me as a clumsy, ignorant child. I can assure you, I am not. My father has trusted me to check on his account.” Once this fibbing started, it was hard to stop. It was little wonder the twins told such whoppers. “I just left Mr. Adams. Where exactly is the money from my father’s last cargo?”
Kit was stunned. Had he heard her right? Was this the same girl who had been acting like a frightened rabbit? Now, she was accusing him of evading her and suspiciously questioning his business methods. What could a kid like her know about his business? Nothing. She was acting just like a woman, twisting everything around. Did they all, even the young ones, have the ability to convolute reality on a whim? Hell, he and his brothers grew up watching his mother and aunt hone word-twisting to a fine art. It took about fifteen years to realize that when all else failed, women would usually confuse their victim with an illogical statement.
And here was Jan Fredriksen’s skittish young daughter honing her craft on him. At least the girl had developed some... gumption. The first term that had popped into his head would have been anatomically incorrect. He could imagine her face if he asked her if she were trying to grow balls. The image made him laugh.
“I find nothing funny about the money you owe my father,” Hallie huffed. “That money should have been deposited months ago.”
Kit liked that her eyes glittered and that pale skin of hers tinged pink.
“I’m here to see that the funds are transferred now, Mr. Howland.”
“Relax, Hallie.” Kit waved his hand in a gesture that suggested she should calm down. From her narrowed eyes he seemed to only make her angrier. “Your father’s tonnage is stored at the DeWitt warehouse. It’s consigned to a merchant clipper that’s late.”
“You mean the cargo hasn’t been sold yet? Her wide eyes reflected her surprise.
“I expect the ship to dock any day.” Kit hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. In truth, he was worried himself. If the clipper didn’t arrive by the end of the week, he would have to begin to make his own inquiries. He chose not tell her that.
“I don’t understand. Da’s cargoes have always been consigned and sold within a few weeks of unloading. That load was from a voyage that ended last November. This is April.” She looked at him suspiciously. “Why the delay?”
“Your father and I have an agreement. I held back the shipment to wait for an increase in the price of oil. The clipper that’s overdue is owned by a... relative.” Kit didn’t divulge that Charles Taber had been his brother-in-law or that he had purposely held out on selling Jan’s oil to get the satisfaction of scalping his in-laws.
“They need the oil and are willing to pay more per barrel than the other merchants.” Kit was making excuses to the young daughter of his friend. She was really too young to understand the economics of his business, so why was he trying to explain?
“You needn’t worry over it. I’m sure this is too much for a kid like you to understand. Your father trusts me to do what’s best.” Jan never questioned his motives.
But Hallie did.
“Are you telling me that my father’s cargo has been sitting profitless in a warehouse for five months, just so you could line the pockets of your relatives? You’re right, my father did trust you, and he worked hard for that load—too hard to let it sit virtually abandoned for all this time.”
