“As bad as it gets.”
A dramatic pause hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. “Here are my rules: You video call me and the kids every day. You stay present in their day-to-day lives. Livie needs us right now. If you stay gone for more than three days, I need a reason. When you’re home, you’re mentally here with us. We might have to hire another Belle full-time to help Amelia, I guess. They’re a lot to handle. I always feel like I’m slippin’ when you’re not around.”
“So you think I should take it?” I asked, glancing over as Beau began moving fully into the center of the bed.
“’Course. We make love two times a week, even if it has to be by video,” Beau said, saying what was important to both of us. “And if it turns out to be true, go kick your old man’s ass. I hate that motherfucker anyway.”
The edge of the duvet lifted.
“Come on, go to sleep. Better decisions will come to you on a rested mind.”
My love wasn’t wrong, and I crawled in next to him. My mind eased.
“Sleep, Dash,” Beau murmured against my ear. It was all it took.
21: The Backyard
Dash
Usually, a closed-door meeting inside my office implied direct attention to a certain subject matter. Interruptions, both in person and by phone were expressly prohibited. Especially while I spoke to Stone about anything. He took care of me, always focused. He was a dog with a bone, but a lot of the times, his vision became singular. We had to talk it out to help him understand the bigger picture.
When Stone and I scheduled time together, mostly during the day, I alerted my family by text, asking for the quiet time.
So when my cell phone rattled on my desk, Stone lifted an eyebrow. Carter’s name appeared.
“Hey,” I said, after swiping my thumb across the screen and lifting it to my ear. I stared directly at Stone unbothered by his annoyance. “Are you around this afternoon for a meeting at the fence line?”
Since he was now my backyard neighbor, he and I regularly talked privately by stepping outside, leaving all recording devices inside. He and I had the best conversations, usually ending up at one of our houses, drinking a cocktail.
“In about an hour, I have a few minutes. Is that correct, Lisa?”
“Yes, then fifteen minutes at about three.”
The first time I heard Lisa answer a question over a phone call between Carter and I, it startled me. Now, Stone was my Lisa, but he never made his listening presence known.
“I’ll meet you there in an hour,” I said, glancing at the wall clock. I was close enough to quitting time, meaning mid-afternoon, that I could wrap up the day. Maybe grab the boys from school and be home for the rest of the night. It’d show Beau I was serious about jumping in when I was able.
If it were possible, Stone appeared more frustrated with me.
“We don’t allow distraction,” Stone disciplined, frown in place. His back ramrod straight, suit pristine, and polished shoes. How had I not known he was gay when I hired him? “What if I have questions?”
“I don’t believe you do. We’ve been thorough in your assigned tasks.” With my fingers I started to enumerate what I had requested of him. “Draw up an engagement letter with the terms we discussed. Schedule a conference call with Lucia and Teresa. You’ll, of course, need to be present on the call. I’ll have you outline the terms. If it goes well, we’ll send them the engagement letter to sign. Then gather all relevant data regarding court cases filed against Richmond Holdings and all of its subsidiaries. Identify and report every terminated employee on record from Richmond Holdings who filed a complaint with the TWC or EEOC. Work your magic. Be crafty, though. Try to get the info through public channels so we don’t alert any employees directly at any agency that might send info back to our potential defendant. Fill in the blanks as they arise. Make an effort to locate Teresa’s complaint with the DPD. I’d like to review it.”
It seemed easy enough. I tilted my head at Stone as if asking what more I could say.
“What about traveling?” Stone asked, pen in hand.
“Where I go, you’ll go, and you’ll schedule it. Schedule time with Brianne. Again, you’ll be present for that meeting,” I said, rising to my feet.
“I guess that’s enough for now. Be available by phone for questions.” Stone finally rose from his seat. “Time frames?” he asked, his notebook still open as he jotted notes and went for the door.
“As soon as possible. Forward any findings to me in real time.” I opened the door, allowing Stone through first. I don’t know how he walked through the office, lost in thought, and never tripped over anything, including his own feet. Those were Jedi powers I’d never fully mastered.
“Hey,” I hollered over to Carter, waiting on the other side of the fence line. I took a quick pit stop to swap out of my professional wear into something more comfortable, athletic shorts and a T-shirt. I charged across the manicured lawn in a pair of slide-on sandals. The sun beat down relentlessly, but I convinced myself the warm ocean breeze made a difference.
“What’s happening?” Carter asked. Beau and I had an aluminum fence surrounding our property. It came to about five feet tall. A sliding gate was a new addition since Carter and Linda built their home behind us.
“So what’s the scoop on my father and brothers being sexual deviants?” I threw the question out, watching his face morph through a series of expressions as the gears in his mind churned.
