– 26 –
Brett scanned the document on his computer screen, trying to focus on the important clauses while ignoring the legal mumbo jumbo. He’d met with his attorney a few days after Labor Day, and she’d emailed him the final document that morning. Once signed and executed, the trust fund for Jonah would be in place. The attorney only needed Brett’s final approval to make it happen.
Which left only one question. Did Brett tell Meghan before or after he signed the papers?
He looked away from the computer screen when his assistant rapped on the doorframe. Kimberly O’Neil, an organized and efficient former Realtor, had immediately proven herself capable of more than answering phones and serving coffee to clients. She filled a void in the office Brett didn’t know existed.
“You have a moment?” she asked.
“Sure.” He leaned back in his seat and gestured at the folder she cradled in her arm. “What do you have there?”
She sat in the chair opposite his desk and rested her hands on top of the folder. “I contacted the references Ms. Prescott emailed me. Each one had great things to say about her.”
“I may have dug a little deeper than she wanted me to. Than perhaps you wanted me to.”
“Why’s that? Is she a corporate spy? In witness protection?”
“Nothing so exciting.” Kimberly glanced at the folder, then back at Brett. “Her references included a professor, her boss at a retail store where she worked part-time while in college, and a producer she worked with who now lives in Cleveland.”
Brett immediately intuited the same lapse Kimberly had. He rotated his cell phone against the desk. “She didn’t list a reference from her last employer?”
“No.”
“But you contacted him? Her?”
“Him. A Mr. Gerald Greene, who’s the station manager. He also had positive things to say.”
“Then I don’t understand the problem.”
“I thought you said she lost her job at the station because of budget cuts.”
“That’s right.”
“Mr. Greene said she resigned. That he was sorry to see her go, and he’d work with her again given the chance.”
“No budget cuts?” Rotate, tap. Rotate, tap.
Kimberly opened the folder and placed her finger on the page inside. “He said she showed great promise and potential. That she was creative and imaginative.”
“Maybe I misunderstood her.”
“He also said—”
Brett held up his hand to stop her. He’d heard enough. Kimberly closed the folder and placed it on the desk. “I typed my notes. They’re all in there.”
Brett nodded his thanks, and she returned to her desk. He swiveled to face the wall of windows, barely registering the familiar skyline as he focused on one fact. He hadn’t misunderstood Dani.
She’d told him she left the TV station due to budget cuts. Why the lie?
Rotate, tap. Rotate, tap.
Dani grabbed her phone a second before the call went to voicemail and answered without looking at the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sunshine. What are you up to?”
Brett.
“Research.”
“Are you with Shelby?”
“No, I’m at the OSU library.”
“You’re kidding. On a Friday afternoon?”
“I met with Professor Kessler earlier at his office, so it seemed a good time to check out the library’s resources.”
“Does all that research make you hungry?”
“I suppose so.”
“Then how about I treat you to supper.”
“I think it’s my turn to treat you.”
“Well, I decided to play chef. Show you I’m more than just a handsome face. Think you can find your way to my place?”
The opportunity she’d been hoping for. “Sure. Sounds fun.”
“When can you get here?”
“About half an hour or so.”
“Great. See you soon.”
She ended the call and cradled the phone to her chest. This could be her chance. She removed the ring from the inner pocket of her bag. Beneath the fluorescent lighting, the diamonds and the amethyst sparkled. Such a lovely ring.
She’d return it, and Brett would never know it had been missing.
She shoved the ring deep into her pocket, then gathered her belongings and left campus.
Brett opened the door after her knock, looking as handsome as ever in pressed khakis and a polo. He flashed a dimpled smile. “You’re late.”
“Came as soon as I could.” She put her hand in her pocket to ensure the ring was still there. Not the safest place for it, perhaps, but at least it was accessible.
He invited her in, then closed the door. “Couldn’t pull yourself away from the research?”
“Just takes time to put things away. And I wasn’t parked that close to the library.”
“Parking on campus is never easy.”
“How’s your day been?”
“I’ve had better.”
“Something wrong?”
“Nothing that won’t work itself out. May I offer you a drink?”
“Tea if you have it.”
“I do.” He filled two glasses with ice and pulled a pitcher from the fridge.
“Something smells good. What are we having?”
“Bruschetta. Lasagna. And cannoli for dessert.”
“You fixed all that?”
“Bruschetta, yes. I put it in the oven right before coming to the door. The lasagna is authentic Italian from a quaint little place near my office—it’s also in the oven. And we’ll have to walk to the bakery down the street for the cannoli.”
Dani perched on a barstool and grinned. “I thought you were playing chef.”
“Hey, it’s in my oven. That’s all that matters.” The timer rang, and he snatched up a potholder. “You’re going to love these.”
A yummy, mouth-watering aroma wafted from the oven as he removed the bruschetta. After placing the baking dish on a trivet, he turned to the cupboards. Dani held her breath when he opened the door where the ring belonged. But he merely took two small plates from a stack on the second shelf.
“So what did you learn today?” he asked as he handed her a plate and a napkin.
“I found a map of a Civil War prisoner-of-war camp that was located right here in Columbus.” Between bites of the tomato, basil, and garlic bruschetta, Dani told him about a few of her other discoveries. “I started making a list of possible photos we could use for displays. Some may be copyrighted, though, which means getting permission and maybe buying rights. That’ll cost money.”
“Remind me to give you Eldon Laine’s phone number. He’s our accountant, so he can help you come up with a budget. But don’t worry too much about cost. We’re not going to skimp on quality.” A dimple flashed, and he picked up a napkin. Leaning across the counter, he dabbed the corner of Dani’s mouth. “You missed a bit of tomato.”
She momentarily closed her eyes as her cheeks warmed beneath his touch.
“I love when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn all pink. It’s cute.”
“No, it’s not. It’s embarrassing.”
“Trust me. Cute.”
Definitely time to change the subject. “So what did you do today?”
“The usual. Bribed a city councilman, green-lighted a toxic waste dump, embezzled money from orphans.”
“Wow. You were busy.”
“All I really did was plow through paperwork.” His face slightly clouded, and he came around the counter to sit on the stool next to her. “Though something odd came up. I need to talk to you about it.”
The hair prickled on the back of her neck at the tone of his voice. “Sounds serious.”
“My assistant talked to the station manager in Cincinnati this afternoon. He said you quit.”
Judging by the heat on her cheeks, Dani’s face was no longer a blushing pink but fiery red. She expected this might happen, though part of her had hoped that Brett’s asking for the references was only a formality. That his assistant would be too busy with other work to thoroughly check her employment history. It was a gamble she had taken and lost.
“Why did you tell me that story about budget cuts?” Brett asked gently.
“It was the story I told my dad.” She raised her eyes to his. “I just thought it best to stay consistent.”
“But why lie to him?”
To avoid a confrontation. So he wouldn’t berate her for being foolish. For being stupid.
She couldn’t tell Brett any of those things. It was too humiliating. Perhaps the time had come to tell him the truth. At least a little bit of it.
“He can be cruel when he’s angry.” Tears stung behind her eyes. She took a deep breath, then blew it out. “Besides, he’s not really my dad.”
“Stepdad?”
“Yeah.”
“Where’s your father?”
“I wouldn’t know him if I passed him on the street.”
“What happened to your mom? I mean, I know she died, but . . .” His hand stroked her arm. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
Dani focused on her plate, biting her lip.
Tell him now.
She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. The vengeful turmoil eating at her heart had dissipated, one tiny molecule at a time, beneath the featherweight of Brett’s kindness. His and Shelby’s and AJ’s. Maybe they never needed to know her secret.
“It was an accident.” Dani swiped at a tear as it moistened her cheek.
“My parents died in an accident too. I guess we’re both orphans, huh?” Brett asked with a wry chuckle.
She caught his expression before he looked away. For that brief moment, she hadn’t seen the handsome, confident man who sat in front of her but a grief-stricken boy. The same hurting boy who, tempered by maturity, responded to the insistent questioning of the interviewer. Words of pent-up anger casting blame on the person who’d robbed him of his mom and dad.
His blame was misplaced, but so was Dani’s. She had come to Columbus to punish Brett for slandering her mom. But how could she punish him for experiencing the same loss she had? The same plane crash had devastated both their lives. If only she’d realized that before leaving Cincinnati.
Her stepdad was right. She was foolish. Stupid.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Brett said.
“Good idea.”
“So why did you quit your job?”
Tell him.
She couldn’t. But she didn’t want to lie to him anymore either. “I had a reason. It’s personal.”
“Because of a guy?”
Taken aback by the question, it took her a moment to realize what he meant. She took a deep breath. “Kinda.”
“But you’re not seeing anyone.” His tone was incredulous, then wary. “Are you?”
She shook her head and inwardly smiled at his obvious relief. Though it didn’t mean anything. He needed a distraction while he worked out the other problems in his life. And she was it.
“I’m sorry I lied,” she said. “About the television station. I’ll give Shelby my research notes, and it won’t take me long to get moved out—”
“Wait a minute. What? You’re not leaving.”
“I can’t stay.” Her conscience screamed at her to tell him the truth, but her heart was too afraid. He’d despise her if he knew she’d been stalking him.
“Look, I understand how difficult family relationships can be. Believe me, I know. And you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to about your stepdad.” He scooted his stool closer. “But this job situation is out in the open now, at least between us. I should probably tell Shelby, but she’ll understand.”
“You don’t want me to go?”
“I’m glad you quit. Whatever the reason.”
“Why?”
“Because if you hadn’t, you’d never have met me.”
His boastful smile warmed her heart, but again her conscience pressed. One thing she had to do. No matter the consequences.
Dani pulled the ring from her pocket and held it out to him. He took it from her, his eyes darting from the ring to the cupboard where it had been kept, and then to Dani.
“How did you get this?”
She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to snoop.”
“You were snooping? When?”
“Not really.” She hiccupped. “But you had teased me about snooping, remember? Last time I was here. And then I wanted a drink of water. I was looking for a glass, and . . .” She hiccupped again as the words tumbled out. “I saw the dish. It was so lovely. The ring fell in my palm and then you came in and startled me and I didn’t know how to explain. I panicked, and I didn’t want you to think I was snooping and”—she paused to hiccup and catch her breath—“the next thing I knew it was in my pocket.”
She sniffed, then wiped her nose with her napkin. “I’m not a thief, honest, I’m not. I wanted to return it, but there was never a chance. At least not without you finding out.” Another hiccup, then she buried her face in her hands.
Immediately Brett wrapped his arms around her. Snug in his embrace, she let the tears flow.
A moment later, realizing his shoulders were shaking, she raised her eyes. He pressed his lips together, but soon his suppressed chuckles turned into teary-eyed laughter.
“What’s so funny?” she blubbered.
“You. Your ‘theft’ is like something out of a zany slapstick comedy.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Only amused. And hungry. What about you, my little snoop-dog? Feel like eating?”
“You are the nicest, kindest man I’ve ever met.” Really? Had those words just come out of her mouth?
Brett’s eyes clouded, but he smiled and tapped her nose. “I hope you always believe that about me. It’s not true, though. I’m neither nice nor kind.”
“You’ve been very kind to me.”
“And you’re a little vixen whether you know it or not.”
“I’m a what?”
“Never mind.”
“Who does it belong to? The ring?” Please don’t say Meghan.
“I think its Tracie’s. I found it after she, um, after she left.”
“Your girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend.”
One more thing she had to know. “Did you give it to her?”
He gave a careless shrug. “I probably paid for it.”
“Probably?”
“Tracie liked to shop.”
“I can’t possibly imagine buying an expensive ring with someone else’s money. And not even telling him.”
“That’s one of the many differences between you and Tracie. A difference I appreciate, by the way.”
“Though maybe it’s not much different. Look at where I’m living.”
“It’s part of your compensation package. There are no strings attached with the cottage.”
“Were there strings with Tracie’s ring?”
“There were expectations.”
No need to ask what those were. But it hurt that the man of her dreams had such a cavalier past.
“She knew what she was getting into,” he said, his voice defensive. “It’s all part of . . .”
“The Game?”
“What do you know about that?”
“Not much, really. But enough to know I don’t want any part of it.”
“Another difference between you and Tracie.”
“So who broke up with whom?”
“How about we talk about your love life instead of mine.”
“Yours is much more interesting.”
“Tell me about just one guy. To make us even.”
“I didn’t have time to date. Not with school and a job.” Sometimes more than one job so she could stay in school. Waitressing, daycare, housecleaning. She’d done them all and more.
“No broken heart in your past?”
“Nope,” she said, almost chirping. The fake cheeriness hid the pressure descending on her chest. No broken heart in her past. But there might be one in her future. They weren’t playing Brett’s typical game, but she wasn’t immune to his charm.
She needed to stop seeing him, stop thinking about him, stop dreaming about him. Each moment they spent together increased the risk of him finding out who she really was. And yet, she couldn’t stop.
A timer buzzed, and he returned to the oven. “That’s the lasagna. How about we eat on the patio? There’s usually a nice breeze this time of day. And the view’s not too bad this high up.”
“Sounds wonderful.” She slid from the stool and grabbed her bag. “I’m going to freshen up a little, if that’s okay.”
“Just don’t take too long. Dinner’s about ready.”
Dani closed the bathroom door and leaned against the pedestal sink. She’d told the truth, sort of, about the job and confessed to taking the ring. Now there was only one secret between them.
A secret she had to keep.