Even though his children were grown, they still needed each other. That’s what family was about.

“Thank you, Esther,” he finally replied, trying to act casual. He hoped he was pulling it off.

“How are you holding up, Katherine?” Esther asked as she approached Katherine and enveloped her in a comforting embrace.

“I’m taking it a day at a time. I miss him, but I know he’ll come back to me. His life isn’t finished yet. He has so much more to give,” Katherine said, her voice deep with emotion.

George’s own throat tingled as he heard the pain in his sister-in-laws voice. He loved her, had been thrilled when Joseph finally came around and married her. He smiled, thinking back to those early days. How stupid and bullheaded both he and his brother had been, especially when it came to women.

No wonder their own children had been so leery to take a leap of faith into marriage and families. It seemed to take the Anderson men a bit longer than the average male to admit they were wrong and to allow themselves lifetimes of happiness.

“If there’s anything I can do, you let me know,” Esther offered.

“I appreciate it, but I think the only thing any of us can do at this point is wait…”

“Can you give me a ride home, Esther? I’d like to shower and change. I’ll come back real soon, Katherine,” George said.

“Yes, that will be fine,” Esther replied, her cheeks pickening when several heads turned toward her.

“You don’t need to come back tonight, George. Please, stay home and rest. You need to take care of you, so you can help me take care of Joseph when he wakes up,” Katherine said.

“Joseph Anderson, you don’t rest too much longer, okay? You need to come back home to us. We all love and miss you greatly,” George said as he leaned down and hugged his brother. His heart was broken with their constant connection between one another lost. He so badly wanted to hear that booming, wonderful voice, sit down by the fire with a fine glass of bourbon, and laugh about their stubborn children.

Soon, he promised himself. Joseph would wake soon.

“I’m ready, Esther. I appreciate the ride,” George finally said.

The nurse tried to insist on him riding in a wheelchair to the front entrance, but he blew her off. He wasn’t an invalid. He’d been walking since he was eight months old, and he wasn’t going to start being pushed around now.

He slipped his arm through Esther’s and they walked from the room.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

“Are you okay, Mom? I know you miss dad, but you need to get out of here a little more,” Mark said as he sat next to Katherine.

“Ah, Mark, you’ll understand after you’ve been married as long as I have. It hurts me to be away from him. I feel like I can’t breathe when we’re apart. Your father needs me here. I know he can hear me. I know he’s aware that I’m by his side. The more time I’m here, the sooner he’ll come home.”

“Mom…”

“Now, don’t you mom me. I’m doing just fine.”

“Can you tell us more of your story?” Amy asked. “You left off with Joseph standing at your door. He was being quite the pig headed man. I’m really hoping you put him in his place,” she finished with a smile to take any of the sting out of her words.

“Of course, I’d love to tell you more. It takes me back. Oh, how I miss those days of young love, passion, and romance. Obviously, it worked out for Joseph and me, but I seriously had my doubts…”

Katherine trailed off. She sat back, making herself comfortable before she began…

Katherine stood in the doorway in shock. She couldn’t believe he’d show up at her door, and then dare to insult her. Oh, she’d missed him, even knowing what he’d done. She’d thought him handsome five years ago, but time had only refined him.

He stood before her, taller than life, his bright blue eyes practically shooting sparks, as they gazed at her. His dark hair was cut short, and his clothes were slightly wrinkled, as if he’d traveled a great distance, only to show up on her doorstep.

His face was a bit more chiseled, all traces of youth gone. His shoulders a little wider, stronger. He’d always tied her stomach in knots, but she thought she’d purged him from her mind.

She’d been wrong.

Her knees were trembling, and she had to lock them together to keep from dropping in a puddle. She couldn’t let him know how much he was affecting her. She also couldn’t seem to find her voice as they stared at each other.

“You going to answer?” he mocked, his baritone voice cascading over her skin. She fought the tremors wanting to rack her body. He wasn’t there to proclaim his love, she was sure of it, not that she’d believe him anyway. He was there for revenge for what he perceived a wrongdoing on her part.

She knew he could see what he was doing to her. It was obvious. She’d never been good at hiding her feelings. He’d often commented on how he loved the passion just underneath her prim surface. He’d been all about releasing that passion, exposing her, making her feel almost raw in his arms.

She’d never given to another, what she’d promised to Joseph. She’d thought she was over him – she’d been wrong.

“I’ve often thought about you – wondering how many other men you’d played games with. I wonder who of us has had more partners, Katherine,” he said with a sneer. That did it. Her temper finally overrode her shock.

“Well, Joseph, I don’t kiss and tell, so you’ll just have to keep wondering. I’m sure, though, if I was a gambler, I’d lay the odds in your favor. With the number of concubines at your service, you can have a new woman at your disposal each night of the week.”

She was proud of the casual tone she used, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Let him think what he wanted.

He looked at her in surprise. She’d never before had such a sharp tongue. She’d grown up, too, in the years they’d been apart. Still, she wondered how she was able to use any wit with him staring at her.

“Point taken,” he said with humor filling his eyes. “Considering your parting words, you can’t blame me for wondering, though. A woman of your immense needs wouldn’t be single for any length of time. I’ve heard rumors that you aren’t currently taken. I guess luck is with me.”

Katherine wanted to smack him - he deserved it. He was trying to make her lose her temper, and he was succeeding. There was no way she’d give him that victory, though. She wouldn’t allow him to know how much he affected her. The best thing she could do to win their little sparring match would be to act indifferent. She’d played in the corporate world long enough to know how to bluff – she’d just never enjoyed doing it. She was too honest a person to be a true shark.

Also, she had to remind herself, if he was back, it was because of the shift in power in the Anderson family. His father, who she loved, must have called him. She could bite her tongue for the sake of Milton, who needed the extra support his son would provide.

Under no circumstances did she want to see the corporation put into Neilson’s hands, even if she had to deal with Joseph.

Because she was part of the board making the decision on who took over the reins of the corporation, she couldn’t let old wounds influence her in a negative way. If Joseph’s name was added to the list of possible candidates, then she needed to look at his qualifications, not the fact that he’d shattered her heart. How he treated women didn’t affect how he was in business.

He was known as a shark – a CEO any company would be proud to have at their helm. She knew if that was best for the corporation, she’d vote that way. She also knew she’d resign afterward.

A woman could only take so much, and there was no way she could handle seeing him on a daily basis, yearning, but never having. It would destroy what was left of her barely healed heart.

“It’s none of your business whether I’m single or not. I don’t track your hundreds of girlfriends,” she snapped. Before she could feel guilt over losing her battle of wills with herself and snapping, he smirked. Katherine continued, “I’m sorry, I must’ve underestimated you. Hundreds is too low a number.”

He laughed aloud at her words. His shoulders shook as he gripped her door, still preventing her from shutting it. The open merriment on his face caught her unaware, and she felt a deep heat burning inside her. She’d taken years to try to get over him, and still she wasn’t there. Seeing him carefree and filled with humor, even when she was trying to insult him, would cause many more years of yearning.

How was she supposed to find a man who even came close to affecting her the way Joseph Anderson did? Why did he have to be such a charming snake?

“I do have a reputation to protect, Katherine, but even I have my limits. You, on the other hand, have developed quite the mystique, yourself. It’s said you rarely date the same man twice, that you’re cold as a serpent, and can destroy a man’s ego with one piercing gaze from those beautiful eyes of yours. I can’t imagine the rumors to be true, but…”

“You know what they say about assuming, Joseph.”

He roared with laughter again, drawing her eyes to the fullness of his lips. She wanted to sink to the floor, remembering the feel of him gently trailing kisses up the side of her neck. He’d been so tender, so passionate. He’d shown her a world she’d never even imagined existed. To have it so brutally ripped away was unfair. She couldn’t have it happen to her twice.

“Ah, it’s good to be home, darling. I’ve missed our talks.” The endearment that came so casually from his lips sent a pang straight to her chest. He’d rarely called her by her name when they’d dated. It had always been an endearment, and she’d loved it. She’d felt so cherished.

She hardened her resolve and pushed on the door a little, not even causing his six-foot-five-inch frame to budge a bit. She kicked out with her foot, hitting his expensive loafers, trying to show him he was unwelcome. She needed to stop their exchange.

“Why are you here, Joseph? We could go on all night insulting each other, but I’ve had an extraordinarily long day and I just want to eat some dinner and go to bed. Tell me what you want, then we can quit torturing each other, and go back to our lives.”

“I want you, Katherine.”

Wow, she thought. That was straight to the point. He wasn’t trying to secretly seduce her. At least he was up front, letting the truth of his intentions linger like a haunting shadow. He’d been the same way five years previously, but she’d been wrong about him then, and she knew nothing was different now.

Katherine was convinced it was all a game to him. He must’ve felt she’d slighted him in some way, so he wanted his pound of flesh. He wasn’t going to get it. She’d given him enough already.

“I’m not up for the taking, Joseph, nor am I for sale. This is one transaction you aren’t going to close, so you can exit the way you came in. I’ll ask you to leave, once again,” she said, speaking through clenched teeth.