Her cheeks turned the sweetest shade of pink. “No. I’m sorry. I just am nervous about today. I guess I shouldn’t be. I am going into the office with the copresidents of the company.”
“Actually, sweetheart, you’re going in with Eric. I have another meeting to attend.”
Eric didn’t like that they were holding back from Megan about Kip, but it was the only way he and Scott believed they could keep her safe. Knowing too much might end in disaster, especially given her immense courage. Megan would want to act, and that was the last thing she needed to do right now.
She frowned. “I’m supposed to be your personal assistant. Shouldn’t I be booking your meetings or taking your messages for you?”
“Already claiming your turf, are you?” Scott teased, brushing the hair out of her eyes. “You better eat up. I’m sure Eric is going to work you hard today. And you don’t want to disappoint Gretchen. She worked hard on this meal.”
“Is there coffee?” she asked.
“Have you heard Gretchen’s accent? It’s English tea in this house. Nothing else.”
She smiled. “Not a problem.”
Scott turned to him. “I already got Megan started on the paintball project on the round trip to New York.”
“Excellent. Where are you on that?” he asked her.
She needed to feel valued, and the truth was that project was an important one for TBK and for Scott and him, too.
Megan smiled and pulled out her new laptop. She turned it on. “I’ve got some questions about that, if you two don’t mind.”
“Can we clone her, Scott? An army of her in all our offices would double our company’s value.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“It’s not even seven and you’re already on the job.”
“I’m excited to get started, Eric.” She looked at her screen. “I pulled up the website for Destiny’s Annual Paintball Extravaganza this morning. The proceeds are earmarked for children’s charities chosen by a board of ten citizens. Who is on the board?”
“This year’s list includes Ethel O’Leary, Jennifer Steele, Cody Stone, Phoebe Blue, Melissa and Hiro Phong, Lucy and Norman, and me and Scott.”
Gretchen came in with a suitcase. “Scott, I understand you have a trip to make today.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would think you might be behind our hacker problem at TBK. How did you know that? I just found out myself not ten minutes ago.”
Even as children, she’d dazzled them with her ability to be ready for anything. She deserved a merit badge for her talents.
“I’m a witch and we don’t tell our secrets. You should know that after all these years, young man.”
“Especially not your real age,” Eric said.
Gretchen laughed and then scanned the table. “Not hungry? Surely I didn’t get up at four to get this all ready for you to have it go to waste?”
He grinned. “Master manipulator, that’s who you are, Mrs. Hollingsworth.”
“Mind your tongue and eat.”
“Are you going to join us, Gretchen?” Megan asked.
Eric was about to tell her that Gretchen never had a meal with them no matter how much they begged her when something shocking happened.
“I think I will, dear.” Gretchen pulled up a chair to a plate of food he hadn’t even noticed before. It was a smaller plate than all the rest but filled with tinier portions of the same meal. She had intended to eat with them all along.
Eric looked over at Scott, who by the strip of bacon hanging from his unmoving mouth must’ve been just as taken aback by this as he was.
“Stop gawking at me, boys. Eat.”