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There
always were. He was just concerned with getting the concept right to begin
with.
    For his part, Alex began outlining the folder for the
preliminary presentation. He also had coffee with Olivia four times—twice when
she’d called him and twice when he’d called her. They seemed to be doing a
little dance but neither of them knew yet what kind or what the steps were. He
had an unsettled feeling that he was going to find out soon and he wasn’t sure
if he’d like it or not.
    He also knew she’d affected him in a way unlike any other
woman he knew. It wasn’t just the physical thing, although he’d take her to bed
the next minute if the chance presented itself. No, this was something
different. Something deeper. Something he had never believed could happen in
just a few seconds.
    “When it happens, you know,” Josh had teased him when he and
Tyler ragged on their brother about his quick courtship of Vanessa.
    Was that what this was? He’d never thought he’d fall in love
with a woman in a business meeting. At first blush he’d pegged her as part of
the army of career-driven women he dealt with regularly. At least she wasn’t
one of the social butterflies who were the other side of the coin. The kind
Josh used to take up with before meeting Vanessa. But he couldn’t deny the
feeling growing inside him. After that night at the barbecue restaurant he
revised his opinion of her. There was a real, down-to-earth woman hiding
beneath her public face, but he figured she’d spent so much time burying it he
might have to work hard to pull it out.
    They hadn’t exactly been easy with each other when they’d
met, either, as if they were each sizing up the other person. And on Livy’s
part he had the distinct feeling he’d uncovered a secret part of her that she
never let out and in some way it scared her. Still, he’d needed that contact in
a way he couldn’t explain even to himself. Maybe after the next meeting with
Concordia, when he had a better idea where they were going…
    “You daydreaming in here?”
    Alex shook himself from his reverie and looked up to see
Josh standing in his office doorway. His brother looked tired but he was
smiling.
    “Napping with my eyes open,” Alex joked. “What’s up?”
    “I finally have a set of sketches to review. If you and
Tyler like them, I’ll pass them along to him to do a preliminary cost estimate
and then we’ll put the package together.”
    Alex was amazed at how well Josh had captured the spirit of
the idea. He’d combined architectural features of the Old West with up-to-date
technology. Even the office buildings, which would be wired for every kind of
communication imaginable, were faithful to the architectural concept. The
houses had the look and flow of small-town western Americana and the stores
looked like a variety of general stores.
    He didn’t know why he should be surprised. Josh was a damn
genius, as their clients often pointed out. He was certainly piling up awards
to testify to that.
    “Well?” Josh looked at his brothers. “What do you think?”
    “Well,” Tyler drawled, “I think we can live with this.”
    “Kiss my ass.” Josh grinned. “It’s fantastic and you know
it.”
    “We just don’t want you to get a swelled head,” Alex teased.
    Josh snorted. “As if, around here. Okay, if everyone’s okay
with these, Tyler, you’re up next with general cost estimating. We won’t know
the definites until we get the job and get into the meat of it, so leave us a
little wiggle room. Alex? You can start the prelim.”
    “I have to call for an appointment. The month is up tomorrow
but I can beg a couple of days. How about next Monday? That gives us the
weekend to fine tune.”
    The others nodded and Josh rolled up the drawings, handing
them of to Tyler.
    Alex called Frank Vincent’s secretary to make the
appointment then asked to be transferred to Livy. After all, Vincent had made
it clear they’d be working together so he didn’t