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“Well, your father and I aren’t all that enamored with the golden years of retirement. We found that out the hard way,” she told him. “You wrap your head around what’s best for you and Addie, and we’ll make it work. Whatever you two decide is fine with us. We’re pretty mobile, your dad and I.”
He hugged her. He didn’t know how much he needed that hug until he got it, and that only strengthened his resolve. His parents didn’t need any more heartbreak on their plate. They’d had more than their share already.
He spent the morning working in his office. He double-checked contractual obligations to the subcontractors and approved nearly a million dollars in final payments. He had his executive assistant produce personalized thank-you notes to every company that had been part of the overall endeavor, a Carrington custom.
And when he got to the name Bayou Barbecue, Josephine Gallagher, owner/manager, anger and disappointment spiked anew.
He wanted to burn the thank-you card. Or crumple it up and throw it away.
Seeing her name reignited his initial concerns of nearly two months before. Why hadn’t he paid attention to his gut then? Why had he moved ahead, getting to know her?
Yes, she was beautiful. But he met beautiful women all the time. With Josie, it was something else, something beneath the surface that drew him. To later discover it was all a lie messed with his head.
Was she that good at deceit? Or was he that gullible?
He contacted his job recruiter and told her to release his interest in the local job, and pursue the Raleigh and Knoxville opportunities, all while wondering if that would be far away enough.
Would she track them down? Would she—
You think she’ll stalk you? That’s your takeaway? Seriously?
He brewed himself a coffee at the fancy machine Josie had admired, then took it back to his office.
You really think you were falling in love with a traitor? Or maybe there’s more to this story?
He knew the truth of the matter. He’d been falling head over heels and she’d lied her way into his affections. Into Addie’s affections. He wasn’t interested in lame excuses. Maybe he should hire his own lawyer, find out how Josie recognized Addie. Because in a closed adoption, she shouldn’t have known anything but the basics. Of course these days, the basics were embellished by a few keystrokes in a Google search, but that required at least a name to search, and he needed to know how she’d acquired that.
He put in a full day.
When the scent of savory meat wafted through the lobby, he ignored it.
When he spotted folks in the sand with Bayou Barbecue paper products, he tried not to think of the woman working behind the scenes. She wasn’t who or what he thought she was, and that meant it was all an act.
He avoided talking to his father that night. The reprieve would be short-lived, but he wanted his lawyer to get him the lowdown on the situation, and then hated that it had come to this, with an innocent child trapped in between.
“This is not your fault,” the lawyer assured him. “You did nothing wrong, and my job is to get to the bottom of the situation and make sure Addie’s place with you is untouchable. You didn’t create this debacle. She did. In a game of chess, she made moves to trap your queen. Our only choice now is to countermeasure.”
Their only choice?
His conscience niggled him after an hour-long phone call with a pricey attorney, because he’d been in the business side of legal briefs and attorneys and counteroffers long enough. When the lawyers got brought into it, everything took longer.
You could try talking to Josie. You’ve always taken the direct route, that’s why you’re good at your job. You reduce the layers of bureaucracy to one-on-one factors.
On buildings, yes. Multimillion-dollar projects needed occasional finessing. He was good at that.
But his child was different. He was different. His pledge to her meant everything.
This time he needed to step back and let someone else do the negotiating, because his head wasn’t clear, and if he was truthful with himself?
His heart was muddled, too.
* * *
“You warned me, Cruz.” Josie brought a wad of tissues to her face on Wednesday night. “You encouraged me to tell him, and I waited too long. And then he wasn’t interested in explanations or excuses. He threw the words wild child in my face and ordered me to stay away.”
