Page 38 of Devlin

"No, but he's a damned good racer, one of the best there is. His daughter is good, too. I need a partner who has experience, likes to compete, and refuses to lose. Sound like anyone you know?"

A gleam entered his father's eyes. "Are you trying to handle me, Devlin?"

"That depends. Is it working?"

His father gave him a long stare. "We can't let Frank win that race."

"I can't do it alone. If you want theWind Warriorto come in first and double its value, then you either need to race, or I need to get Frank back in the company and back on the boat."

"I'll…think about it," Graham said. "But don't give me ultimatums, Devlin. You may run the company, but I own it."

"I can't run the company with my hands tied behind my back," he said tersely. "You need to respect me and my ability to make the Boatworks profitable. You might want to think about that, too."

His father turned and left the room without further comment. He blew out a breath, not sure where they'd ended up but glad he'd put his cards on the table. His father wasn't the only one with Blackthornepride. He'd made the Boatworks more profitable than it had ever been, and it was about time his father recognized that fact.

CHAPTER EIGHT

HANNAH MANAGEDto avoid Devlin for three whole days. In fact, she'd just started to relax when she ran into him on the sidewalk in front of the Yacht Club on Wednesday night. He wore tan slacks and a white button-down shirt. His hair was damp, his cheeks cleanly shaven,and there was a sparkle in his brown eyes.

As their gazes met, her stomach did a happy little somersault, making a mockery of her resolve to forget about him.

"This is a nice surprise," he said. "I didn't know you were coming to Jessica's party."

"Her mom invited me when I signed up for the race on Sunday. Jessica and I were friends in elementary school. I didn't realize youand Jessica were now friends."

"Jessica works at the distillery."

"Right. She's another Blackthorne employee; I forgot."

He smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Our employees are not indentured servants. We pay quite well," he teased. "But I'm actually better friends with Vince, her fiancé. He runs the fish and chips café on the wharf—The Flying Fish."

"That's a new onefor me."

"He opened about two years ago and does a good business. You should try it some time." He paused. "How's theDaisy Maecoming along? Have you taken her out yet?"

"We're going to do that tomorrow. My dad has been whipping her into shape. What about you? Have you found a racing partner?"

"Possibly. I'm still waiting to get a firm commitment from my dad."

"Yourdad?" she echoed in surprise. "I thought you said he never raced, not since his brother died."

"Well, we had an interesting chat on Sunday night, and when he heard you and Frank were going to be competing against us, he told me he might be willing to do it. Apparently, beating your father has provided much-needed incentive."

"My dad is also fired up at the prospect of taking yourfamily down. Not that he's angry with you," she said hastily. "He's told me several times that he understands you're caught in the middle."

"I'm glad to hear that. Your father has been a good friend, a mentor to me. I hate that I'm letting him down. But I still think with a little time we can work it all out."

"By the time you work it out, my father may decide to move on. He's beengetting calls from other companies."

"Well, I hope he'll talk to me before he makes a decision. Maybe you could pass that on to him."

"Sure. Has there been any word from your mother?"

"I know she's in Paris, but that's all I know."

"Springtime in Paris doesn't sound bad."

"I'm hoping it's just a vacation and not a permanent change of address. But I'm going tohave to wait and see how that plays out as well. Shall we go inside?"

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