Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe by Maureen Child Page B

would be rushing out to take care of an overeager customer. But when the knocking continued, Anna sighed, and stepped out from behind a tall, potted ficus tree.
    Clarissa was standing outside the restaurant, leaning up against the glass, shading her eyes so that she could look inside. A second later, that frantic knocking started up again.
    Mateo finally headed out of the kitchen and Anna stopped him. “I’ll take care of it, Mateo. Sorry.”
    â€œOh, sure,” he said, recognizing Anna’s stepmother. “No problem.”
    Anna hurried to the door, turned the lock and opened it. “Clarissa, what is it? What’s happened?” Then she saw her stepmother’s eyes were red and swollen, tears streaming down her face. Grabbing hold of the woman, Anna demanded, “Is it Dad? Is he okay?”
    Clarissa nodded, gulped audibly and lunged for her. Hugging Anna tightly, she tried to talk around her own tears, but the words were garbled.
    Relieved that her father was all right, Anna patted the woman’s back until she calmed down, then pulled away and said, “What’s going on, Clarissa? Why are you crying?”
    â€œOh,” the woman said, rummaging in her black bag for a handkerchief, “it’s just so wonderful…”
    Anna’s heart picked up a normal rhythm. Not bad news, then. She waited impatiently for her stepmother to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. Then, at last, Clarissa spoke again.
    â€œI had to find you, Anna,” she said. “Tell you right away. I know how worried you’ve been for your father and you just had to know the good news.”
    Patience, Anna reminded herself, though the opposite feeling was pumping through her fast and hard. You needed patience with Clarissa.
    â€œIf it’s good news,” Anna said softly, steering Clarissa to a chair, “then I definitely want to hear it.”
    But Clarissa didn’t want to sit down. She stopped suddenly, gave Anna another hard, tight hug and stepped back, giving her a brilliant smile. “Thank you, Anna. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”
    â€œI don’t understand,” she said, feeling that hard-won patience begin to dissolve. “What are you thanking me for?”
    Clarissa’s eyes widened and her smile got even brighter.
    â€œYou don’t know? I can’t believe you don’t know,” she said. “I thought for sure you were behind this somehow, but now…”
    Anna took a breath and blew it out again. “Honestly, Clarissa, I do love you, but if you don’t tell me what’s going on soon—”
    â€œOf course, of course.” Clarissa grabbed hold of Anna’s paint-stained hands and said, “It’s Sam Hale. He contacted your father yesterday…Hale Luxury Autos has signed an exclusive contract with Cameron Leather.” Her tears started again in earnest, but her brilliant smilenever wavered. “Your father’s company is safe, Anna. He’s so relieved. So happy. I thought you had talked to Sam about this. Somehow arranged it all and I had to come and thank you for whatever you’d done.”
    â€œSam called Dad?” she echoed, her heart jumping into an accelerated beat. She hadn’t talked to Sam in days, but he’d called her father. Done this to help her father.
    Hope leaped to life in her chest and she silently prayed that this meant what she thought it might. Dazzled, confused, Anna realized that Clarissa was talking again and forced herself to pay attention.
    â€œHe did. They met this morning with Sam’s and your father’s lawyers and settled it all in an hour. Everything’s taken care of and, oh, Anna, it’s so wonderful to see your father really happy again.” Clarissa reached out and hugged Anna tightly before letting her go. “It’s as if a boulder had been rolled off his shoulders.”
    â€œWhy would Sam do this?” Anna