She could only pray he didn’t mortify her in front of the girls and the whole West Coast and SV Displays team.
The first annualSilicon Valley Display Products and West Coast Manufacturing’s company picnic was getting off to a rollicking start.The VPs of the two companies had all been tasked with a turn at the food line.Knox and Court Stevens manned the spatulas, flipping burgers and rotating hot dogs.
Finn Rafferty cooked up ears of corn, while his beautiful girlfriend, Lia Ferroni, West Coast’s HR VP, dished out potato salad.Neal Thomas, their VP of Business Development, worked a vat of baked beans, while his girlfriend Ella was taking cellophane off all the salads.There was soda for the kids, beer, wine, and champagne for the adults.
Together, the two companies had rented a large picnic area at a local park with hiking trails and a river running through it.Rows of picnic benches accommodated employees and their families, and there was plenty for the kids to do.Swing sets, a huge sandbox filled with toy trucks and pails with pint-sized shovels.Slides and monkey bars and a merry-go-round.They’d rented a bouncy house and hired clowns making animal shapes out of balloons to entertain the kids, as well as caricature sketching and face painting.The more adventurous grabbed inner tubes for a lazy ride down the river.
Brett Baker, as SV Displays CEO, grabbed one microphone, and Holt Montgomery took the other.Standing by the barbecues, Brett started the speeches.Knox hoped to hell they wouldn’t last long.
Brett’s voice boomed out over the crowd.“Welcome everyone to the first of many joint company events to come.We want to thank each and every one of our employees for all the hard work in pulling this venture together.We’ve got a great product, and we all see glory days ahead, with more amazing products to come.”
Then Holt took over, raising his microphone.“All the hard work is about to pay off, and we thank you for putting your all into this effort.So today, enjoy yourselves.The first round of burgers and dogs is ready.”His voice rose to a rousing level.“To the tables and stuff yourselves!”
A great roar rose from the crowd of employees and their families as they swooped in to fill their plates.
Ruby Williams, consummate right-hand woman to the CEO, grabbed the microphones and laid them in a box for safekeeping.Her red spaghetti-strap tank top bared her shoulders, and white short shorts showcased her legs.Holt wrapped his arm around her and held her close for a moment.Despite Ruby’s supposed wild days, the CEO had certainly tamed her madcap activities.The look she gave him was pure adoration, and vice versa.
Knox and Court offloaded another batch of burgers and dogs to the warming trays, adding more to the grill, then turning the ones already cooked on one side.
He hadn’t seen Summer or her daughters yet, and he wondered if she’d decided not to come after she’d learned he would be there.The woman’s mind wasn’t easily changed, but he would get her to admit how good they were together.Outside the bedroom, as well as in it.For now, he wanted to meet her daughters, impress them, and maybe even get them on his side.
A little girl rushed up to Brett Baker, and he swung her into his arms.His granddaughter?Then a beautiful thirtysomething woman, her short dark hair lifting in a breeze that blew by, kissed the top of the child’s head as Brett held her.And Knox recognized Ivy Elliot, an admin at SV Displays.She and Brett had become an item.And by the looks of it, he adored both the woman and her charming daughter.Brett was also a grandfather, Knox knew, but these two were his new family.
Knox again searched for Summer, wanting to show her that no one in either company would have a problem with their relationship.But he couldn’t leave his grilling hot dogs, not when Spence Benedict stepped up with a plate in hand.
Court laughed good-naturedly at Spence.“I thought all executives were supposed to go to the back of the line.”
Spence grinned, having only one plate.“It’s not for me.It’s for the lovely mother of my child.”He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.“She has two to feed.”
A gorgeous woman in a flowered sundress cooed over a baby carrier beside her on the picnic bench.Around Knox’s age, Spence had come to love a bit later than most, but Knox had never seen a prouder father.
Court feigned a skeptical look, then finally agreed.“All right.We’ll do it for Zoe.What does she want?”
Spence’s easy grin spread across his face.“She wants a hot dog and a hamburger.”He held out the plate with both types of buns.
Court said in a loud aside, “And I better see her eating both of them.If you take even a bite, there’ll be big trouble.”
Spence muttered something rude under his breath, and Court muttered back.Then they both laughed.Someone—Knox didn’t see who—called out, “Come on, Spence, you’re holding up the line.”
Spence moved to the beans, corn, and salads while Knox and Court continued handing out burgers and dogs and roasting new ones on the grill.
The new materials director at West Coast came next, her curly auburn hair braided instead of flowing free.What the hell was her name?Carol something?No, Coral.Coral Chandler.“How’s the new job going?”he asked, because, hell, he was supposed to be polite even if he was keeping his eye out for Summer.
“It’s great, thanks.I’m settling in.”She pointed to the tall guy beside her, mid to late forties, maybe, close to her age anyway, brown hair salted with gray, handsome in an executive sort of way.“This is my husband Boyd,” she said, then went through the introductions, before each of them took burgers and moved on.
In an aside, he asked Court, “Is she good?”The woman was in charge of purchasing, shipping and receiving, the warehouse, and production control.And Court had more contact with her than Knox did.
“Yeah,” Court said with a shrug.“She’s certainly got the production control people whipped into shape.”
Knox would have asked more, but a pretty woman, silky dark hair pulled up in a high ponytail and long, lean legs, her white shorts hugging a very fine figure, stopped in front of Court, her smile turning her features into a perfect picture.
And Court just… morphed into a different man.Maybe it was in the way his friend suddenly stood taller, though he was already over six feet.Or maybe it was that his smirky grin turned to a genuine smile as he said, “Hey, Jewel.What can I get you?”And Jesus, did he sound weirdly breathless?
She held out the first of two plates.“Hot dog.”Then held out the other.“Hamburger.”
Instead of letting Knox serve the dog, Court reached over and grabbed a pair of tongs, loading her bun, then scooped up a burger with a spatula and plopped it on the other plate.“We’ve got corn on the cob, beans, potato salad, green salad.And there’s beer, wine, and champagne too.Enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you.”Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle as she gave him a beautiful smile before moving on.
