say a word.”
“Pardon my ignorance, but how did Uncle Camden amass this fortune?”
“Pet food.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your uncle helped span a small dynasty of high quality, veterinary recommended pet food.”
“I knew he had money, but this…” She shook her head. “I have no idea what to do now.”
“You’ve got plenty of time to figure this out. And until you’re ready to take control, our firm will continue to monitor the estate. The only thing that needs to happen now is that you move into the mansion. He was pretty adamant that you become the primary caretaker of the pets.”
Sasha felt a momentary sense of panic. She’d helped rehabilitate injured wildlife and reintroduced them back into their natural environment, and tracked a pack of hyenas over the African plains. But she’d never taken responsibility of anyone or anything but herself.
“Now, don’t panic.”
She shook her head. “How did you know?”
“I can’t read minds but I’ve seen that look on too many of my clients’ faces not to recognize it. Camden has taken care of everything. In fact, another partner has just finished briefing someone who will be an integral part of your getting settled into your role. Just let me go get him.”
Niggling in the back of her mind grew so that minutes later when the attorney entered the room she was numb to the surprise of seeing Trey Blackfox’s familiar profile.
“Sasha Clayton meet…”
“Trey,” she interrupted.
“You’ve met?”
“In the waiting room,” Trey answered after walking in, pulling back a chair and making himself at home.
Sasha bit the inside of her cheek. The man was the epitome of confidence. And for a moment Sasha felt green with envy. Throw her into a room with a biologist, a den of wild aardvarks or a convicted felon and she could fend for herself. But being in a room with an attractive man left her tongue tied.
“Good. This should make this go a bit smoother. Trey and his veterinary clinic have been retained by the estate to continue in the primary capacity as both the medical care provider of the animals and advice for you.”
She recovered her wits. “Shouldn’t that be my decision? Not that I doubt his expertise.”
“Normally that would be the case, but Mr. Ridge-stone specified that the clinic not only care for the animals but he also provided a generous grant to ensure that they continue to receive the best care. Not to mention that since the clinic is nonprofit and gives free care, your uncle wanted to continue his support after his passing.”
Trey chimed in. “In fact we’re naming a new exercise run after your godfather.”
She stared blankly at the two smiling men. Too much, too fast. She’d barely had a chance to adjust to the reality of her godfather’s death. Now she had to deal with an inheritance that was incomprehensible in terms of her responsibilities. “I’m sure that you want to talk about this, but to be honest I can’t think straight right now.”
The attorney waved his hand. “You don’t have to do anything. We’ll be right here when you’re ready to make any actions. My assistant reserved your hotel suite until tomorrow. Jackson has assured us that the house is ready for you.”
“I’m not sure I feel comfortable moving into my uncle’s house,” she admitted.
“I understand, but part of the bequest entails you’re being the animals primary caregiver.”
Uncaring of the extra pair of interested ears that followed their conversation, Sasha made one last attempt to put the brakes on the increasing lack of control she had over the situation. “Not today. I don’t think I can handle anything else.”
The attorney nodded. “The car that picked you up this afternoon will take you back to the hotel.” He stood and gave her another benevolent smile. “Tomorrow, I’ll send someone by the house with the documents that I’ll need you to review and sign.”
Sasha slumped down farther in her seat.
“I’m sorry about your godfather. He was a good man.”
Sasha swung her gaze from the attorney’s retreating shoulders to Trey’s solemn face. “I wish I’d know that he was sick. I would have been here.”
“That would have been the last thing we would have wanted.”
“Did you know that he was dying?”
“Not until I got a call from the hospital. He asked me to continue taking care of his animals and to help you in any way I could after he was gone.”
“I take it that you’re involved with the foundations the attorney mentioned.”
“Yes. So it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
“It would seem so.”
“About what happened in the waiting room,” he started and stopped.
It took her a moment to notice his body language, but she suddenly realized that Trey felt uncomfortable in her presence.
She leaned close, cradled her face in her hands, and gave him a droll stare. “Please, tell me about what happened in the waiting room.”
Trey swallowed. Odds were that the woman across the table wouldn’t fall for the ole sweet charm that he’d been practicing ever since he’d graduated from Pampers to training pants. He’d tried a full smile and the compliments, but he’d gotten tackled before he reached the end zone. Now what did he do? He racked his brain for a quick solution to get himself out of the hole he’d inadvertently dug himself in by coming on to the woman who would be holding the purse strings to the grant money his clinic depended on. The fact that Camden had asked for him to assist his goddaughter was no small favor. Trey wouldn’t betray that kind of trust just because his urge to peel the panty hose from Sasha’s wonderfully formed legs. If he’d been thinking with his head instead of his libido, he would have realized that Sasha was Camden’s goddaughter. He turned his mind back to the present. “I apologize.”
Her face registered surprise at this apology. “For?”
He swore internally; she seemed determined not to make it easy. He placed his hands palms up on the conference table as he considered some way to make their predicament work. “My behavior in the waiting room. I have a tendency to go after what I want. Guess dealing with animal patients has rubbed on me. But, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable so I promise that I will follow your lead and keep our relationship strictly professional.”
“You’re either not in the habit of apologizing or you’re not used to allowing someone else the upper hand.”
He gave her a sheepish smile. “Does it show?”
“Like swarm of lightning bugs on a hot July night.”
Her look changed from distant to one of warm humor. Her dark eyes sparkled with laughter as Trey leaned closer. That look with her lips upturned and mouth partially open made his fingers itch to touch her face. Made his lips long to taste hers.
Trey swallowed. “Guess I’ll have to work on it. In the meantime, I’ll expect to see Darwin for his checkup in the next two days.”
“Of course.” Sasha stood up from her chair.
Trey stood, came around the table, and stopped by her side. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Thank you.”
Before he could say anything else, Sasha turned and strolled out of the office. Lionel Ritchie’s song “Two Times A Lady” rolled in his