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.”Ann stood.“I see.” She crossed restlessly to the window.“Do you happen to know who will win?”“As much as I can tell, you’ll lose by one vote.”Ann wrapped her mind around that.She’d feared it might happen for several months now.But her fear had been greatly diminished when Raif had confirmed the authenticity of Roark’s Gold Heart.It had diminished again when Dalton had been arrested.“Unless,” said Rutherford.Ann turned.There was a glint in his eyes and an impish smile on his aging face.“Unless?” she prompted.“Unless you might be interested in moseying on down to the board meeting.”“To plead my case?” Ann wasn’t sure what she could possibly say that would change anyone’s mind.Everyone knew the facts.Rutherford shook his head.“To watch me exercise my ex-officio right to vote.”It took her a moment to understand.“You’d vote in my favor?”“Absolutely.”Ann was confused.“What’s in it for you?” she dared to ask, uncomfortable with not understanding the entire situation.“I like you,” he said simply.“I like Edwina and the others that support you.And I’m not at all fond of those who are working against you.Waverly’s is stronger with you at the helm, Ann Richardson.You’ve worked hard.You’ve accomplished a lot for the shareholders.Your reward for that shouldn’t be to have the board show you the door.”Emotions that were simmering close to the surface threatened to spill over.Ann’s throat closed in.“Thank you” was all she could manage.Rutherford came to his feet.“So, do you want to humor an old man and have some fun?”“Yes.I do.”“For that, you might want to change your clothes.”* * *Watching Rutherford at the board meeting had been a treat for Ann.From the second he’d walked in, to the moment he informed the members he was planning to vote in Ann’s favor, he’d had their undivided attention.Some members, like Edwina, were clearly thrilled to see him back.Others were clearly angry at his interference.But he’d pulled it off with aplomb.Astonishingly, Ann was able to push Raif from her mind for a short time.But after the vote, during the drive home, and especially after Rutherford had dropped her off in front of the building, Raif was taking up her every thought.Darby had obviously been waiting, because the minute Ann walked by her door, she rushed out, falling into step in the hallway.“What happened?” she demanded.“Where did you go?”“Waverly’s,” Ann answered, reaching into her purse for her keys.It took her a moment to find them, and she resisted the urge to curse.She had no patience for this.“What about Raif?” Darby asked.“Raif left.”“Why?”Ann twisted the key in the dead bolt.“He wanted to give me some time.”“Some time to go to Waverly’s?”Ann pushed open the door.She wanted to talk, but she didn’t want to talk.She wished Darby would leave.Then again, she was incredibly glad Darby was here.“Ann?” Darby prompted.“Some time to decide whether or not to marry him.”Darby stopped dead in her tracks.Ann closed the door.“Yeah.” She agreed with Darby’s shocked reaction.“That’s pretty much what I said, too.”“But, that’s wonderful,” Darby sputtered.“Wonderful? Wonderful? How is it wonderful?”“He loves you.”“I already knew that.”“And he wants you to be his wife, to be his.” Darby clamped her mouth closed.“You can say it,” Ann drawled.But then she halted, focusing on an unfamiliar package sitting on her coffee table.“What’s that?”Darby moved up beside her.“It looks like a present.”The flat, rectangular package was wrapped in gold paper, with shiny purple ribbon and a sparkling bow.“Where did it come from?” Ann looked suspiciously at Darby.“Not from me,” she affirmed.“I only knocked on your door while you were gone.I didn’t come inside.”Ann dropped her purse and circled the table.She didn’t like this.Dalton might be locked up, but with all the strangeness in her life lately, she didn’t trust the package for one second.“Do you think it might explode?” she asked out loud.“It’s a present, not a bomb.”“If you were sending someone a bomb, wouldn’t you wrap it as a present?”“I don’t think it’s big enough to be a bomb.”Ann frowned at her friend.“Based on your many years of explosive and demolitions training?”“Based on watching many movies of the week.” Darby leaned down.“It’s not ticking.”“Don’t touch it,” Ann warned.“Oh, good grief.” Darby picked up the package and shook it.Ann reflexively jumped back.“It barely weighs a thing,” said Darby.“I’m sure there are such things as microbombs.”“That’s ridiculous.” Darby pulled on the ribbon.It came untied, and the bow fell off with it.“This is a bad idea,” said Ann.“Maybe it was him,” Darby returned, sliding her fingernail under the tape.“Raif? No.I was sitting in here with Rutherford after Raif left.It couldn’t have been him.”“Who’s Rutherford?”“Someone from Waverly’s.Hey, I get to keep my job.”“That’s great.” Darby removed the paper, revealing a plain white cardboard box.“That’s where I went.To a board meeting.Rutherford made them keep me.”“Good for Rutherford.Do you think this is from Rutherford?”“Maybe,” Ann allowed slowly
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