The Executive's Decision
Page 28

Her father did a slow scan over Zach, and it made Regan nervous. Her family wasn’t the kind to immediately judge, but she saw it in her father’s eyes. She knew he wasn’t so sure that a man in a nice pressed shirt and perfectly pleated slacks was what his daughter needed, again. His expression relaxed, and so did Regan. He extended his hand to Zach. “Nice to meet you. Alan Keller.”
“Thank you, sir. This is a lovely home you have,” he complimented them both.
“You like baseball?” Alan ushered Zach to the couch where Regan’s nephews sat comatose watching the television.
“Yes.”
“Good. Yankees are winning.” He nudged the boys. “Hey, we have company, say hello.”
“Hi!” they said in unison without looking away from the game.
“These two boobs are my grandsons. Eduardo and Christian. Sit.” He offered the seat. “Would you like a beer?”
“That would be great.” He looked up and Regan smiled at him.
“I’ll get it.” She winked at him, relieved that he’d met her parents and was still looking at her with calm eyes. She walked with her mother to the kitchen.
“So this is your new man?” her mother asked in a hushed tone.
“Mama…”
“No. Carlos told me you’ve had eyes for someone, and I knew there was something going on in that brain of yours.”
“You read me like a book.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and then stooped into the refrigerator for a beer. “We’ve really only decided to see each other. It’s been complicated.”
“You’ve known him for a long time?” Emily took out the salad tongs and tossed the tomatoes into the lettuce.
“No, only a month.”
“Long enough. I only knew your father one month before we were married.” Her German accent sometimes mixed with her southern one. It made her very special. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Let’s hope those boys get here by then.”
Regan walked back to the living room with Zach’s beer.
He stood when she entered the room. His proper manners would have allowed him no differently, she knew. She saw her father’s eyes divert from the TV and watch Zach’s movements. She caught the nod as he turned his attention back to the game.
“Dinner in ten minutes,” she said, handing him the bottle. Her fingers lingered on his.
“I can’t wait.” His thumb stroked her hand and it sent heat through her body.
“Aunt Regan, you’re in the way!” Christian complained. Regan reached over to pull the Tennessee Titans cap from his head, and messed up his hair. He twisted the cap back on. “C’mon, the game is on.”
“You are so like your father,” she said adoringly to the ten-year-old who tried to see around her.
“No, he’s just a dweeb,” Eduardo, said and Regan laughed. His twelve years seemed much more mature until he said things like that.
The front door flew open and the noise of others filled the room. Regan gave Zach a pat on the arm and then left him to hang out with her nephews while she went to greet the others who walked in.
When she saw her sister walk through the door, she screamed aloud and immediately she pulled her into her arms.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” she squealed.
“Surprise!” Arianna Keller laughed as their mother ran from the kitchen and her father stood from his chair.
Emily wrapped her arms around her daughter and began to sob.
“Mama, don’t cry,” Arianna said.
“I’m so happy to see you.”
“I only have time for dinner. I leave in the morning, but I wanted to be here and share my news.”
“What news?” Alan scooped up his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
“I was hoping to do this over champagne, but”—she threw her arms into the air—“I made it onto Broadway!”
Zach stayed back. Their voices were clear, but the wall and crowd of people blocked his view. He smiled. As an only child, he’d never seen siblings offer such exuberant love and compassion that they surrounded a person. They all were as thrilled with Arianna’s news as she was with herself. Perhaps he had that with Simone… perhaps. He wasn’t involved in their exchange, but his body warmed as he listened to them all.
“Come on. Dinner is ready, and Regan brought a friend.” Their mother walked Arianna toward Zach.
“Well, she did good.” Arianna winked at Regan when she saw him standing beyond the crowd. “Arianna Keller.” She stuck her hand straight out and met Zach’s.
“Zach Benson,” he greeted her. The sisters’ eyes, hair color, and smiles matched. However, he could see no restraints on Arianna as he had with Regan. He was sure she was the type of woman who went after anything she wanted and got it. “Congratulations on your move to Broadway.”
“Thank you. I’ve worked very hard, it’s about damn time.” He’d heard that siblings could be different, and looking at Regan and Arianna Keller, he saw that was obvious. Regan, even in her casual sundress, was refined and put together. Arianna, on the other hand, was dressed in tight pants with a fitted shirt, and she wore heels that made her tower over her family. Long earrings dangled from her ears, and it had been a very long time since he’d seen that many rings on ten fingers. Her personality was as outward as Regan’s was inward. He already enjoyed the differences.
Arianna followed Emily to the kitchen. Zach caught Regan’s arm as he noticed the men who had walked in with Arianna. He pulled her to his side and shook his head. The doctor she’d hugged at the hospital and the stranger from Regan’s house stood before him, casting suspicious glances over him.
“Zach, right?” Curtis held out his hand to him.
He pushed back his shoulders and cleared his throat. “That’s right.”
“Curtis Keller.” He shook his hand, and Zach nodded when he heard the name the man had in common with Regan. She’d let him think the handsome doctor was her lover, but in fact he was her brother. She’d been very careful with what she wanted him to know.
Regan curled herself around Zach’s arm. “This is my other brother, Carlos.”
He was the man he’d recognized at the Nashville site. “You work for me.”