CHAPTER TWO

      THE OFFICES FOR the Belvedere Foundation were located in a skyscraper in downtown Detroit. Cassie had to pay ten dollars to park her truck in a multistory concrete lot. She hated to hand over the money but had given up trying to find a free, open spot on a side street.

      She slammed the truck door shut, then looked down at her outfit. She didn’t have to be as dressed up as she had the night before at the launch event, but she couldn’t show up in her usual T-shirt and jeans, either. After consulting with her sister, she’d chosen a plain white cotton shirt and a pair of beige pants that her mother had probably stuffed in her closet at some point. It wasn’t fancy, but she wanted to look as if she belonged.

      Because despite everything that had been printed about her in the morning paper, she deserved to be there. Didn’t she?

      Two security guards met her in the lobby of the glass-and-chrome skyscraper and directed her toward the Belvedere Foundation’s boardroom, where the meeting was to be held. She felt tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming all this. She’d really made it this far in the contest, and all that was left was to win the entire thing.

      Opening the heavy door to the boardroom, she quickly scanned the crowd before she strode in with a confidence that she didn’t quite feel. Better to fake it from the beginning. Some heads turned toward her, but then the people returned to their conversations. Ignoring the dismissal, she tried to focus on the advice Andie had given her over the phone that morning. “You earned your place, Cass. Don’t let them take it from you. Instead, you show them what we Lowmans are made of. Grit and determination.”

      “Grit and determination,” Cassie mumbled under her breath as she squared her shoulders and headed for a long, narrow table to the side, set with a continental breakfast. She loaded her plate with fresh fruit and a cinnamon roll rivaling the size of her head, before she moved down the table to the large carafes that held coffee and hot water for tea. She poured a mug and held it up to her face, inhaling the heady scent of coffee beans. Ah, ambrosia for her soul.

      “Hey, partner.”

      John was pouring his own cup of coffee. “Good morning to you. How did you sleep?”

      He gave her a wry grin and shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. I had so many ideas bubbling in my brain that I stayed up late drawing different sketches of the house.”

      “Sketches are good.”

      He took a long sip of coffee, then sighed. “We’re going to need a coffee maker at the house since I subsist on caffeine and pizza. And that’s on a good day.”

      She laughed and nodded. “Me, too.” She had an old percolator that she was in the habit of hauling to each work site because she couldn’t get through her day without regular infusions of caffeine.

      “Well, we have one thing in common at least.” He glanced at the others in the room. “Is it just me or do you feel like we’re the underdogs in this contest? That the contestants have dismissed us already as competitors?”

      It was what had kept her up the night before, tossing and turning as she mulled over her doubts. True, she had made it this far, but now what? She felt as if she and John had lost already before the contest had even started. “You’re not imagining that. I feel it, too.”

      She noticed his brown eyes held a golden gleam in them. “We could use that to our advantage, you know. Let them underestimate us. And in the meantime, we’ll swoop in and take the top prize.”

      She wished she had such confidence. “Do you really think we could win?”

      Before he could answer, Christopher Belvedere swept through the door, flanked by a pair of assistants presumably, and called for everyone’s attention. The rest of the contestants took seats around the main table that dominated the room. John found them two available seats and used his free hand to pull her chair out for her before sitting down himself. Mr. Belvedere stood at a lectern at one end of the table. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If we could all listen up, we can begin this first meeting.” He nodded at his assistants. “We’re passing around information sheets with the rules and regulations for the contest. Much of this is a repeat of what we discussed during your interviews, but I’d like to go over each item and address any questions.”

      A thick sheaf of papers was dropped down on the table, next to Cassie’s plate. She skimmed the first page as she bit into a fresh strawberry. Most of the text was standard rules and regulations for renovating a house. Permits would be pulled, inspections made regularly. She didn’t have a chance to read it all before Mr. Belvedere started talking.

      “First, let me congratulate you all on being chosen. You are all part of an elite group of builders and designers, the cream of the crop in Detroit.”

      The affirmation made Cassie’s heart want to sing out. See that? She was special.

      “Second, since this is the premier contest there may be unexpected challenges for you and us as we navigate these unchartered waters. The mayor has assured us that he will assist us in the necessary bureaucracy of the city’s agencies. That being said, I am also here to help you in getting permits arranged, inspections cleared, and so on. Do not hesitate to reach out to me or my office.”

      Seated across the table from Cassie, Beckett raised his hand. “I have a question about the security of these houses. Is there anything in place to protect our work?”

      Mr. Belvedere cleared his throat and spoke again. “All of you were chosen not only for your talent and skills but also for your integrity. We have confidence that no one will be stealing ideas or anything else.”

      Several people turned to look at Cassie, and she bristled under the attention. She wasn’t here to take something that didn’t belong to her, but to prove that she had what it took to keep her father’s business going until he returned and was exonerated. She shook her head and muttered, “Why do I feel like there’s a target on my back?”

      John inclined his head toward hers and whispered, “Like I said, we should use that to our advantage.”

      The meeting continued as they reviewed the packet of information, including a list of vendors who were helping to sponsor the contest and would provide deep discounts. She perused the names and gave a nod. She knew many of them from previous jobs, so she could vouch for the quality of their materials.

      The doors to the boardroom opened, and several assistants walked in with large cardboard boxes. Mr. Belvedere smirked. “And here is our first challenge in the contest. As you know, homes are getting smarter as more technology is used to enhance the lives of those who live there. We want these homes to use cutting-edge digital devices to make them safer as well as more practical. In each box, you will find a suite of technology to be incorporated into your projects. Home connectivity and security systems that will bring these residences into the twenty-first century. This is a step up from current systems sold, the next generation of symbiotic connectivity. With this technology, the families that move into your homes will be able to make their lives