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She stepped past him and heaped eggs and bacon onto her plate. Remembering the tight fit of her jeans last night, she ignored the frosted pastries, but poured herself a mug of coffee. When she took a seat, Senior had returned his focus to reading.
A copy of several other newspapers lay scattered across the table. Kelly slid the front page of the Miami Herald toward her, her attention captured by another headline about corruption in the Miami-Dade County Police Department. Not again. In disbelief, she read the story. This was her department.
“Just so you know,” Senior said, breaking her concentration, “I don’t approve of this charade you and my grandson are carrying on. I intend to put a stop to it.”
She so didn’t want to have this conversation. Maybe she could just ignore him.
“How long are you going to pretend you are Jason’s dead mother? It’s ridiculous.”
She took a deep breath and said, “You need to have this discussion with your son.”
“I already have. Now I’m having it with you.”
And apparently there was no way out of it. Kelly sat back in her chair. She should just walk away. She could ask Hans to drive through any fast-food place for breakfast. If Trey hadn’t set his old man to rights, how could she?
“This charade, as you call it, wasn’t my idea.”
“But you went along with it. Why?”
“Jason is a sweet kid, but he’s confused right now.”
“Jason is a four-year-old child. Four-year-olds are always confused.”
She glared at Senior. “You don’t like kids much, do you?”
“I love my grandchild,” Senior said, a defensive edge to his voice.
Maybe Trey had accused him of the same thing.
“You could sure fool me,” Kelly said. “Listen, Jason’s shrink asked me to hang around until she gets his head screwed on straight. That’s the only reason I’m here.”
“Interesting,” Senior said.
“Surely Trey told you that.”
“Oh, he told me. He also dismissed Dr. Carico yesterday.”
“He what?”
“Fired her.”
Kelly blinked. Trey had fired Carico? Why? Because Jason hadn’t regained his memory? Why hadn’t Trey informed her?
“I didn’t know,” she said.
Senior laughed softly. “I’m certain there is quite a lot about my son that you don’t know.”
Senior’s tone was so fricking insulting, Kelly tamped down an urge to toss her hot coffee at him. She took a quick swallow and burned her tongue.
“Will he find Jason another doctor?” she asked.
“We’re interviewing them today.”
She nodded. So the old goat wasn’t leaving. She could still give Trey that ultimatum—He goes or I go. Despite Senior’s arrogant behavior, something told her she’d be the one staying.
But only as long as Jason wanted her here.
God, what a sticky mess. The poor little dude might be a rich prince, but he was totally screwed by his dysfunctional family. And so was she.
Because she refused to be responsible for a further breach between Trey and his obnoxious father. She’d just have to stay out of the old man’s way.
“I think,” Senior said, “that the reason you’re here isn’t so much to help my grandson, but rather you realized you’ve fallen into a great opportunity.”
“Opportunity for what? To be dissed by a hateful rich old man?”
Senior’s jaw tightened. “You’ve got quite a mouth, don’t you?”
Kelly shrugged. “Your son thinks so, too.”
“And my son is a great ‘catch,’ isn’t he?” the old man asked, making quote signs in the air around the word. “The world’s most eligible bachelor and all that media nonsense?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“You may resemble his dead wife, but you are not anything like her.”
Kelly looked down at her plate. She’d been starved fifteen minutes ago. Now she felt nauseated. She pushed back her chair and came to her feet.
“Well, good luck with the interviews,” she said, striving for disinterested. “I don’t want to keep Hans waiting.”
“That is his job.”
