At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel by Amanda Cabot Page B

shown her the partners’ offices with their fancy furniture and the view of Lake Erie, Kate had known that was what she wanted. She hadn’t looked back since.
    Greg didn’t appear impressed. “What happens after you make partner? What’s the next rung on the ladder?”
    Kate flinched. “I don’t know.” But she ought to.

    Greg yanked the drawer open with more force than necessary, then stared at the socks, as if choosing the right pair would qualify him for an international award. He grabbed a pair of brown socks, then tossed them back and looked at the remaining ones.
    Unlike Kate, he hadn’t worried about climbing the corporate ladder. When you owned the company, there was no ladder. You were the top. But he’d done the same thing Kate was doing, setting increasingly challenging goals for himself. Unlike Kate’s, his didn’t involve titles or responsibility; they focused solely on money. One million, then the next, then the elusive billion. And when he’d reached that milestone, he’d taken Drew’s advice and sold the company, netting himself more money than he’ddreamed possible. By any standard, Greg was wealthy. Filthy rich, some would say. The question was, what did he have to show for it?
    He hadn’t squandered the money. Most of it was invested, growing daily while he repaired buildings at a down-at-the-heels resort and played tennis with the most attractive woman he’d ever met. He’d spent some, but it had been wisely spent. Thanks to him, his family’s life was a little easier. He’d set up trust funds to pay for his sisters’ college expenses, and Mom had reported that his father seemed to enjoy the big-screen TV that had been Greg’s Christmas present to them.
    There was nothing wrong with what he’d done, either the accumulation of wealth or the way he’d spent a tiny fraction of it. Admittedly, the money hadn’t bought him the one thing he’d longed for as he’d been growing up, but he hadn’t expected it to. Though his sisters might disagree, there were some things money could not buy.
    Greg was proud of what he’d accomplished. He’d worked hard, and he’d been rewarded for that hard work. But there was more to life. He knew that as surely as he knew that Kate Sherwood’s eyes were brown. What wasn’t clear was what that “more” was. That was why he was here: to discover what God had in store for him.
    Abandoning hope of choosing a pair of socks, Greg slid his feet into sandals, then reached for his laptop. Shaking his head, he pictured Kate’s expression if she could see him. Like her, he’d been thinking of work when he’d downloaded messages earlier today. It was time to read them.
    Greg scanned the contents of his in-box. Only three new messages. The first two were from two of his sisters. Nineteen-year-old Taylor had been invited to a dance at some fancy country club and needed a new dress. Greg raised his eyebrows at the cost, then opened Jessica’s note. The second oldest of thefour girls had blown out a tire and had to buy a complete set. He’d transfer the money to them tomorrow. Fortunately, neither Ashley nor Emily had any requests. That left the final message, the one from Drew.
    He clicked it open and frowned. It was short and succinct, typical Drew. “We need to talk,” it said. “Call me.”
    Greg wouldn’t.



8
    O nce again, Kate and Sally were the first to arrive for dinner. Once again, only one table was set. But tonight there were only six chairs at the table, and tonight their server was a teenage boy. Kevin of the KOB trio, Kate guessed. Blond, blue-eyed, and tanned, he would have been the perfect model for the jeans ads she’d worked on last year. Too bad she hadn’t seen him a year ago. Of course, a year ago she hadn’t known that Dupree, Texas, existed, and even if she had, it wasn’t a place she’d have considered scouting for models. That was why modeling agencies were in business, and why she . . .
    Kate tried not to frown as