“You talk to me, don’t you?”

Addison rarely tried to be funny, at least not intentionally, but when she saw Joanna’s face split into a grin, she knew her attempt had been successful. Returning Joanna’s grin with one of her own, Addison squeezed Joanna’s knee. “That’s better.”

Better didn’t quite describe the feelings Joanna was experiencing, but this time it wasn’t her worries getting the best of her. This time, it was the warmth of Addison’s hand on her knee. It seemed to spread throughout her body, a tingling of awareness and heat, and unlike the scotch, Addison’s touch calmed her concerns in an instant. As for the rest of the nerves in her body...not so much.

***

Generally, Addison couldn’t care less about her mode of conveyance. Cars were just cars, built to get a person from one place to another, but four weeks earlier her mood had changed.

Keeping in mind Fran’s directive that attention needed to be received, Addison had called her chauffeurs into her study and explained that she and her wife would be attending a very important party where appearances were everything. There was only one car in her garage she believed fit the bill, and George and David readily agreed.

It was the only automobile in Oliver Kane’s collection he had demanded not be returned to its original factory condition. Owning one of only eighteen in existence should have been enough for Oliver Kane, but like Bradley Easterbrook, Oliver’s ego had needed more. When the Rolls-Royce Phantom IV had rolled out of the factory a half-century earlier, its interior had been red leather, and its exterior a dark forest green. However, believing its mundane appearance would be lost amid a sea of other collectibles at the car shows where it appeared, Oliver had ordered changes be made. So, instead of returning the car to the authentic factory specifications, he had the red leather replaced with black, and much to the dismay of car collectors around the world, the car’s exterior was now metallic carmine.

The smile on David’s face hadn’t wavered all day. Before Addison had brought an end to the cars appearing in shows across the country, he had driven the Phantom on and off transportation lorries, but guiding the masterpiece down country roads and highways was a dream come true.

He and George had spent every spare minute preparing the car for its journey. Each part of the engine was inspected, and pristine fluids were emptied and replaced with new. Once they were satisfied the engine was in perfect working order, they turned their attention to the car’s appearance.