Chapter Twenty-six

“Carter. Carter! Wake up!” Devon’s voice boomed, rattling his brain.

He’d fallen asleep at his desk at Work It Gear’s headquarters again, a bottle of Kentucky’s favorite whiskey still clutched in his right hand. It couldn’t possibly be morning yet, could it? His throbbing head wasn’t ready to face another day. He’d need at least three or four more hours of shut-eye before he could handle another inane meeting. Maybe if he pretended to be passed out his general counsel would give up and leave him to his misery.

Devon shoved his shoulder hard. “I mean it, Carter. I’m sick of this bullshit. You either get your ass up or I’m quitting. For real this time.”

Devon had threatened to walk out so many times lately Carter had lost count.

Grunting, he peeled one eye open. “Who the hell are you kidding? You’d never leave me.”

Unlike Gwen. It had been only too easy for her to shut him out of her life as if he’d never existed.

Devon shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m done watching you destroy yourself. At first I understood, even commiserated, but come on, man. She’s been gone two months. Enough’s enough already.”

He propped himself up. “I’ll decide when it’s enough,” he grumbled. He’d stop when his heart quit aching, which didn’t feel like anytime soon. Wincing, he rubbed his splitting forehead. “Besides, a little relaxation after a tough day never hurt anyone. God knows, I need to loosen up, right? Isn’t that what everyone around here thinks? That I have a giant stick up my ass?”

“Loosening up is one thing. You’re totally undone.”

Carter’s lip curled. “No, I’m not.”

“Have you taken a look at yourself lately?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, straining to decipher Devon’s point through his hangover haze.

“Seriously, go look at yourself. Now.” Devon pointed to the private bathroom in Carter’s office.

“You’re joking, right?”

“No. I’m tired of trying to get through to you with words. Maybe if you look in the mirror you’ll see what everyone else does. There’s a reason none of the assistants want to come in here anymore. It’s got nothing to do with your view of Rockville Turnpike.” Devon crossed his arms and stared.

Damn, Devon wasn’t playing around. If he didn’t get up, his brawny best friend was likely to yank him from his seat and drag him across the floor.

With a grunt, he pushed out of his chair and shuffled across the room. Peering into the mirror, he examined himself. The four-days’ worth of beard scruff didn’t look too bad and the dark circles under his eyes weren’t anything a little sleep couldn’t fix. “So what’s the problem?”

“When was the last time you wore a suit?”

Since when did Devon join the fashion police force? It wasn’t any of his business.

Carter ran his fingers through this matted hair. “Who the hell cares what I wear? I run an athletic wear empire. Of all people in the world, I should be allowed to wear a T-shirt and running pants.”

“Yeah, but they should at least be clean.”

“They are.”

“Really, then what’s that?” Devon pointed to a stain that ran down the length of Carter’s chest.

Tugging his shirt from his body, Carter spied the orange-yellow smudge and tried to remember what he’d eaten the night before. Taking a sniff, it came back. “Kung pao chicken. I think. Maybe it was orange sauce.” There was an equally large smudge on his right thigh where he’d drizzled duck sauce.

“Uh huh. And when was the last time you showered? Or shaved for that matter?”

“I shower when I need to.” Scratching his scruffy cheek, Carter couldn’t recall if it had been one or two days since the last time he’d bathed. Scanning the too-long ten o’clock shadow he shrugged. “The whole clean shaven thing is passé. I’m the sexiest man in D.C. I could start a whole new trend, bring rugged back. Maybe even design an entire line around cowboys or lumberjacks.”

Devon’s brow pinched. “Are you trying to destroy this company?”

“Of course not. Work It Gear is my life. It’s the only thing I’ve got or ever will have.”

That was the heart of the problem, wasn’t it? He had wealth, fame and…what? Sweat-wicking performance fabrics, jog bras, and a vast array of athletic shoes. Were those worth getting up for in the morning? Could they greet him when he got home at the end of the day? Hardly. All the money and power in the world didn’t mean anything when he couldn’t share them with someone. Even Judith had bowed out, allowing him to have full control over the corporation. He only had himself to blame. Turning away from his guilty visage, he collapsed on the leather sofa along the wall.

Devon sat in the armchair across from him. “Look, I know things have been tough, but you’ve got to pull yourself together, knock off the drinking, and get yourself cleaned up. We’ve got a couple big deals coming up and I can’t pull them off on my own. You’re the president and CEO for a reason, not just because you’re the founder’s son. You’re a visionary and the best damn negotiator I’ve ever seen. I need you on your game.”

Carter propped his arms behind his neck. “Thanks for the pep talk, buddy, but you’re doing just fine. The China deals are in the final stretch and our new thigh and butt shapers are well into development. Take a breath. All the hard work is done.”

“What about the Walk It?”

“What about it? It’s dead in the water.”

Devon shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s very much alive, but since you don’t know that, I’m guessing you haven’t been reading your email. Which means you probably don’t know we’re due to present it to the Department of Defense on Friday.”

That tidbit was enough to cut through the thickest hangover fog. Carter shot up. “What? Since when? How the hell is that possible when we don’t have data on the trial runs?”

Shaking his head, Devon sighed. “Gwen submitted her final numbers two weeks ago. She wanted to be finished before she gave birth.”

Carter’s heart skipped. Even after everything that had happened between them, Gwen had continued the Walk It trials. Could he hope she’d done it, at least in small part, for him?

Who was he kidding? She’d finished the trials for the wounded soldiers, her clients who treated her with kindness and respect. And now, because he hadn’t, she was leaving the country and he’d never see her again.

“You mean before she moves to Germany,” he said ruefully. With the help of his security firm, he’d kept tabs on her, just to make sure she and the baby were safe. But after she’d made her disdain pointedly clear, he’d kept his distance.

“Yeah, that, too.” Devon paused, his words hanging heavy. “Anyway, we’re a go on the Walk It pitch for Friday morning. I don’t know the first thing about the project, so this one’s on you. She’ll be there to help explain the findings from a clinical perspective, but you’ll need to handle the business end of things. You remember how to do that?”

Carter’s weary eyes stretched wide. “Gwen will be there?” he asked, hope creeping into his voice.

“Yeah. I was afraid you might not be up to the task so I called her yesterday to ask if she’d lend a hand. By some miracle she agreed to save your sorry ass, so you’d better be nice.”

Oh, he’d be more than nice. He’d be on his best behavior, dried out, cleaned and pressed, his old self, but better. Because now he had a reason to hope. Completing the tests was one thing, but Gwen had agreed to come to the presentation. That wasn’t out of obligation or to help some wounded soldiers. She had to know her data was solid and would speak for itself. No, she was coming to help him, because although most of her hated him, a tiny portion still cared. And that was all he needed.

A plan leapt to mind. Carter lunged off the couch and staggered back to the sink. “What time is the meeting on Friday?” He splashed cold water on his stubbly face.

Devon smiled. “Ten o’clock. But that’s only four days away. Are you going to be ready?”

It had taken two months and whole lot of whiskey to figure out the key to Gwen’s heart. This was his last chance to change her mind and he wasn’t going to waste it. There were people to be called, contracts to be negotiated, but with hard work and effort he could pull it off.

Carter smiled. “I got this.”

…

On Friday morning, Emerson sprawled on the bed in his guestroom and watched as Gwen applied her makeup. “Are you sure you want to go to this meeting? No one would blame you for canceling. Better yet, you could send me in your stead. I’d love a chance to save his spectacular ass.”

Gwen chuckled as she blushed her cheeks. “Yeah, somehow I’m thinking that wouldn’t be much of a help. Besides it’ll only be an hour, tops. I can handle it. I’m more worried about going to Stan’s this afternoon. He called and insisted I come down today. I think he wants to share some bad news.”

“Really?” He sat up. “What’s that?”

Her throat choked with emotion. “The duckpin alley’s been struggling. He’s probably thinking of shutting it down.”

“That would be horrible,” he said, his voice solemn.

“It would. That place was the only real home I ever had as a kid. It’ll break my heart to see it go. But Stan’s getting old, so maybe it’s for the best. Though, I’m not sure what he’ll do with himself without that alley. Duckpin’s his whole life.”

Forcing the painful thoughts from her mind, she dabbed on lip gloss and stood back from the floor length mirror, taking herself in. She’d been loath to buy a maternity dress this late in her pregnancy, but even she had to admit it was worth it. The dark green skirt’s ample fabric hugged her full, round belly in just the right way, minimizing her burgeoning girth as much as possible.

Emerson wolf whistled. “Damn. You’re the hottest pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. Carter’s going to eat his heart out.”

She sighed. “I bet he doesn’t even notice. Not that it matters. I’m sure he’s moved on.” She wouldn’t know. Since she’d moved into Emerson’s, the Washingtonian and all other gossip magazines had been banned from the house and office. For all she knew, he’d been the cover model for each of the last two issues.

The memory of the last time she’d seen him flashed back. His worn, ragged face haunted her. Rejecting his apology and potentially well-intentioned, but half-assed, marriage proposal had broken her heart, but it was the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?

“What if he hasn’t moved on?” Emerson asked. “What if he’s as broken up as you still are?”

“First, that’s impossible. Carter’s the ultimate playboy. Second, I’m not broken up over him. I told you, he’s the past. I’m looking forward to a new future.”

“Are you?” He leveled his gaze at her. “Or are you just running away, hoping to forget him in Deutschland?”

His pointed question stung, if only because it was filled with so much truth. “How can you say that to me?” Her voice cracked.

“Don’t get me wrong, he was the absolute jerk of all jerks, and I still hate him for what he did, but I know you. You hardly ever fall for someone and when you do, you go down hard.” He snickered. “Okay, I totally didn’t mean that how it came out.”

Unable to hold back her laughter, she threw a make up sponge at his head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah, I am, but I’m also your best friend. And I’m asking you to look inside your heart and figure out how you really feel. Are you over him? Because if you’re not, it might not be too late to change your mind and take him up on his offer.”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Carter doesn’t love me. He only proposed because he felt guilty and a bizarre sense of obligation. I’m going to be a mom. And then I’ll be in Germany with an infant preparing to start a new job. I won’t have the time or energy to think about him. My heart will heal. Eventually.” She rubbed her abdomen. “If I’m lucky.”

…

Carter nearly gasped when Gwen walked through Work It Gear’s conference room door. She was a vision in her flowing emerald dress. Springing to his feet, he met her at the entrance and walked her to her seat at the long rectangular table. “Thanks for agreeing to lend us a hand on such short notice.”

“Oh, it’s nothing really.”

He smiled. “It’s something to me.” Deep gratitude swelled in his chest. “I can navigate the toughest of contracts but I could never explain the clinical benefits as well as you.” He marveled at her beautiful face and clear, smooth skin. Though she likely felt uncomfortable and unwieldy this far along in her pregnancy, to his eyes, she was gorgeous.

She shrugged. “Anything for the project. The Walk It is too important to fail.”

“Of course.” He swallowed hard, reminding himself of all he’d done to push her away. “With you on board, I’m sure that won’t happen.”

“Fingers crossed.” She smiled weakly.

Carter’s assistant ushered in the procurement staff from the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Carter and Gwen turned on their smiles and handed out their presentations. It was show time.

An hour later, the presentation concluded. It was a smashing success, just as Carter knew it would be. He and Gwen bounced off each other, describing the Walk It’s origin, the evolution of its design, and detailed the shoe’s results, which showed significant and progressive improvement in the gaits of amputees who wore prosthetics. They finished each other’s sentences and even cracked jokes through the presentation, putting the government officials at ease. Carter watched with admiration as Gwen handled each question with aplomb, gracefully deflecting any of the challenges while pointing out the shoe’s benefits. She was a natural.

Before he knew it, they were shaking hands with their beaming guests, who promised to be in touch. For the first time in months, he felt light, happy, and had laughed. It was all because of Gwen. If things didn’t go as he hoped, she’d leave and he’d return to the darkness and self-loathing. Desperate to hang on to these good feelings for just a few more moments, he accompanied her down the elevator and across the vast lobby on the first floor.

“That was amazing. I’m sure they’re going to contract with us and it’s all because of you,” he said, unable to peel his eyes from her rose-red lips. He longed to take her in his arms and somehow convince her to change her mind, beg her to forgive him and stay in the country. But he had to be patient.

She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You would have done just fine. You know everything there is to know about the Walk It. They couldn’t have stumped you.”

“Yes, but I couldn’t have been as charming. You dazzled those big, tough procurement officers.”

“Uh huh, me and my huge pregnant belly. Totally alluring.” Chuckling, she patted her midsection.

He met her gaze. “More than you know.” Her eyes turned down with sadness, or maybe it was regret. Either way, he needed to change the subject. “Hey, would you like to grab some lunch to celebrate? I know a great little falafel stand.”

She smiled. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve got a prior engagement.”

“Anything serious?” he asked, looking down at her belly.

“It could be, but it’s not about the baby.” Gwen rubbed her midsection. “She’s fine. Couldn’t be better, actually. I can’t wait to meet her. It should only be a few weeks now.”

“That’s great. I’m sure you’ll be a great mom,” he said, his voice filled with disappointment. “Well, I don’t want to keep you.”

She reached for his arm. “I’m sorry. Maybe sometime before I leave for Germany?”

Carter forced a smile. “Maybe.”