LITMIR.BIZ

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the voice-activation system in his car to dial his office. Traffic was backed up from Avery Avenue to Zang Boulevard. He strummed his fingers anxiously against the steering wheel of his new car as he waited for the cellular service to connect the call.

       Mediation had lasted well over two hours. After their initial interaction, Collin Broomes hadn’t been much interested in talking, falling into a sullen silence for the balance of the session. His attorney and the mediator had both been diligent about hashing out a game plan for the young man’s future. But Matthew had been the only one to actually ask the boy his opinion, genuinely interested in what Collin might want for himself.

       He’d hardly been surprised when Collin gave him little to nothing, his responses amounting to single-syllable answers. His mother had spoken only once during the entire discussion, reprimanding her son and advising him to check his tone when he became insolent. The boy had reeked of attitude, had a massive chip resting square on his shoulder. Her tone had been firm, the look she’d given her son stern. The boy had instantly stopped posturing, his teenage swagger cooling considerably. Clearly, his mother was a firm disciplinarian.

       Each time she’d looked at Matthew, her gaze had lingered longer than necessary. Her look had softened considerably as she’d studied him with keen interest. Her eyes were beautiful, Matthew suddenly mused, remembering the glazed stare.

       Matthew liked how Katrina Broomes had looked at him. He liked the energy that had pierced his own stare. Never had any woman looked at him like that before. Most women Matthew knew were always eyeing him like he was bait on a hook. But then, maybe that had much to do with him always trolling for his next catch of the moment.

       On the other hand, Katrina had looked at him as if she actually saw something in him that he himself hadn’t yet discovered. And she’d looked at him as though she liked what that was. Her interest had been keen and had piqued his. Now he found himself hoping that he might get to know the woman better.

       Toward that goal he’d been eager to volunteer to personally mentor young Collin. The boy’s eyebrows had risen in surprise but Matthew had been adamant. Consequently, starting in two weeks, the two would be meeting at the Briscoe Ranch Youth Center, where Matthew would put the child through his paces.

       Matthew’s thoughts were interrupted by the phone line being answered on the other end, his secretary’s voice greeting him cheerfully.

       “Matthew Stallion’s office. How may I help you?”

       “Hello, Carol. Do I have any messages?”

       “Hello, Mr. Stallion. Just one message, sir. Your brother John asked that you contact him before you take off on your vacation this afternoon. He said he’ll be in his office most of the day.”

       Matthew nodded into the receiver. “I’m actually changing my plans, Carol. If you’ll call and cancel my reservations, please.”

       “But you were so looking forward to your vacation. Are you sure?” she asked, her tone concerned.

       Matthew smiled to himself. “Positive. Something’s come up.”

       There was a slight pause as his secretary waited, hopeful that Matthew might tell her what that something was. He didn’t.

       “I’m going to take the rest of the day off, though, and I’ll be in the office tomorrow. If you’ll please transfer me to John’s office.”

       “Yes, sir, Mr. Stallion. Just one moment,” Carol said as she put the call on hold.

       Seconds later, John Stallion’s baritone voice spilled out of the speakers.

       “Yo, bro! How’s it hangin’?”

       Matthew chuckled, the familiar greeting reminding him of when they were just boys themselves. “High and steady,” he responded, his head waving from side to side.

       “Better than low and heavy,” John answered with a deep laugh. “So, when do you take off?”

       “I’m not. I signed up to mentor the kid who jacked my car and I need to put some things in place to do that. I’ll postpone my trip until I can better arrange my schedule.”

       John laughed. “A personal, one-on-one butt whupping. Poor kid. Guess he didn’t have a good lawyer.”

       “He had one of the best. That’s why I’ll be mentoring him and not someone else.”

       John nodded into the receiver. “You still need to take some time off. We all do. Fighting that hostile takeover drained our energy. The last few months have taken their toll on every one of us.”

       “So, why don’t you and Marah sneak off to the islands for a few days? The beach house is available. Your wife would like that, and since I’m staying, you won’t have to worry about the office.”

       “Not much, anyway.”

       Matthew chuckled as he maneuvered his car through the throng of traffic that slowed his trip. “Not at all. I’ll make sure no one burns the joint down before you return.”

       “I wasn’t worried about no one. I was worried about you.”

       “Well, I won’t burn it down, either. Nor will I give it away or send it into bankruptcy before the week is out. Next week, however, might be a different story, so you better take that time now and hurry on back.”

       His brother laughed. “Marah and I are on the plane as soon as I can get her packed. Thank you. I owe you one.”

       “Yes, you do,” Matthew answered. “Send me a postcard.”

       “I’ll do better than that. I’ll bring you back some sand so you see what you missed.”

       “I love you, too,” Matthew said with a wry grin plastered across his face. “Talk to you later!”

       As he disconnected the call, Matthew guided his car toward the interstate leading to the ranch. He suddenly felt like riding his favorite black horse. It had been that kind of day.

      * * *

       “Why?”

       Katrina took a deep breath, filling her lungs with warm air. Collin had just about pushed her last nerve and it was taking all her resolve not to explode. “Because I said so,” she answered, her tone firm, the stern look she gave her son emphasizing that it was in his best interest to end their conversation.

       “It’s not fair!” the boy exclaimed instead, pouting profusely, as though he were five and not fifteen.

       “Me spending my entire day in court over your nonsense wasn’t fair, either, Collin. I had something else I would have liked to do, too. But you took that option away from me. There are consequences for our actions. You stole a car. You wrecked that car. You could have been injured. You could have injured someone else. Punishment for that is going to last you some time.”

       “But I’m being punished. The court is making me work for that man. It’s not fair for you to punish me, too!”

       Katrina chuckled. “You’re lucky I don’t go get me a switch from that tree out there. Then I’d show you just how unfair life is. Now, you are not going to the mall with your friends. You’re not going today, and you won’t be going tomorrow or anytime next week, so don’t ask. In fact, if you don’t go to your room and give me a moment of peace, you may not see your friends or the inside of a mall for another six years. Then you can tell me how unfair your sweet, spoiled life is. Do you really want to try me?”

       She stood with both hands clutching the lean line of her waist. Her neatly arched eyebrows were raised high, her expression challenging. Collin heaved a deep sigh, then turned an about-face, muttering under his breath as he headed back up the staircase toward his room.

       “And leave your phone on the table,” Katrina called. “I told you no cell phone, no television, no nothing, and I meant it.”

       The boy paused. The look he tossed his mother was harsh as he came back down and

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