Page 72 of All for Love

KODY

“Hello?” I called out as I walked into Dad’s house the day after the party.

A few members of the cleaning crew looked up, grinned, and lifted their hands at me. I returned their waves as I made my way further inside. “Dad? Are you guys awake?”

I was impressed by the progress the cleaners had made. When we’d left here last night, there had been platters of food and plates with half-eaten snacks left on them on the tables. Empty bottles and dirty glasses. They’d been cleared as the night wore on, obviously, but looking at the place now, I couldn’t believe there had been almost a hundred people in here last night.

I walked over to Dorothy, a member of Dad’s housekeeping staff, and smiled. “You guys are doing a hell of a job.”

She blushed, averting her eyes as she shrugged. “Mr. Wagner hired a magnificent crew for this job. We’re not doing much ourselves. Just keeping an eye and straightening up once they’ve been through a room.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” I said cheerfully. “You’re working hard and we appreciate it.”

She glanced up at me. “Thank you, sir. Are you looking for your father?”

“In a minute. I actually came to collect my date’s clutch. Marissa Everett? She left it behind by accident and I said I’d get it for her. Any chance you’ve seen it around?”

“I haven’t, but there’s a whole team of people cleaning up. Let me check with them for you. Your father is in the lounge. I’ll bring you the clutch there when I find it. Do you know what it looked like?”

My nose scrunched up. “Black maybe?”

She chuckled and reached out a wrinkled hand to pat me on the bicep. “I’ll find it. Don’t you worry. A coffee while you wait?”

“I’ll be forever indebted to you.”

I grinned, and she nodded before she hurried away to make my drink. I strode to the lounge, surprised when I found my dad there alone for a change. Wearing jeans and a plain sweater, he was sipping his coffee and reading an actual newspaper. He still had it delivered every morning. Apparently, he didn’t trust news online when he didn’t have to.

He looked up when I walked in, his silvery hair still damp. Surprise registered on his features when he saw me. Then he set down the newspaper and motioned for me to take a seat. “Kody. This is a surprise. Coffee?”

“Dorothy is getting me some.”

He nodded, then inclined his head toward the decanter of whiskey open on the bar. “Spike it when she brings it. It helps for the headache and the weather.”

I looked out at the snowy grounds beyond the window, settling back on the armchair I’d sat down on. “I probably shouldn’t. I have to drive back to the city in a few.”

“Of course.” He regarded me curiously for a long moment. “That’s a surprisingly responsible decision, coming from you.”

I bristled but did my best to keep a straight face and an even voice. “Where’s Margaux?”

“Shopping for Mecedes’s Christmas present.” Sitting up, he leaned forward and laced his fingers together between his knees. “I’m glad you came. I want to talk to you.”

The sharp sting of apprehension pricked my gut. Mercedes and I had left here together last night. With Marissa, but it wasn’t impossible that we’d stirred up some suspicion all the same. Fuck, does he know about us?

The good mood I’d woken up in crashed and burned in a sea of fire and brimstone around me. Mercedes had spent the night with me, and we’d talked just as much as we’d done other stuff. It’d been amazing. Exactly what I’d needed, strangely, but now? Shit.

Just when I thought she and I were in a reasonably good place, my dad wanted to talk. That was never good news.

Dorothy walked in with my coffee and I thanked her. She smiled and tipped her head back. “Let me go find out about that clutch. We’ll find it.”

“Clutch?” Dad asked as Dorothy hurried out of the room, his head slanted to one side and his blue eyes piercing on mine. “That’s what you’re here for?”

I shrugged. “A con in the dating column, as far as I’m concerned. Women don’t travel light, and when something inevitably gets left behind, it’s up to you to be the knight in shining armor who finds it.”

Dad chuckled, dipping his chin in acknowledgment as I took the sip of my coffee. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Marissa.”

“Marissa?” I frowned as I hooked my ankle over my knee, the apprehension spreading as his knowing eyes remained steady on mine.

He nodded. “Marissa. What’s going on between you two? Are you dating?”