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I couldn’t believe just how ignorant Spencer was being. Despite how hungry I felt, I stood and shook my head at him. “That’s enough, we’re not getting anywhere,” I told him.
“This isn’t going to be the last word on the subject, Rylee,” Spencer replied. “This weekend, I want to meet my son.”
I gasped. This weekend? So soon?
“I’m going to meet him and I’m going to get to know him. I won’t be pushed out of his life.”
Feeling shaken and confused, I turned on my heel and made my way to the entrance of the diner. What was I supposed to do now? How was I going to protect Jayden when everything came crashing down around us?
17
Spencer
When I woke up and checked my phone, I remembered that I had promised Robin I would take her to lunch. I groaned and rubbed my hand over my face. I really wasn’t looking forward to continuing the lie further, but at the same time, Robin had seemed so desperate that I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her alone to deal with her scumbag boss.
I pushed myself out of bed and got myself ready for the day, all the while panicking about how I was going to manage to keep the whole thing under control. I couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter what I did, I was going to just put more space between myself and Rylee.
Getting along with chores on the ranch was one way of dealing with it all. There was hardly time to worry about Rylee when I was too busy feeding and grooming the horses. But time passed all too quickly and as lunch time approached, I grew more and more apprehensive. It was hard to think about anything but the distance this could create between me and Rylee, but I knew it was something I had to do anyway. I couldn’t leave Robin to suffer alone. So, I cleaned myself up and headed for the car.
As I drove to the offices of Jenkins & Co., I tried to concentrate on how important the whole thing was to Robin and how much I wanted her sleazebag boss to leave her alone. I knew I was doing the right thing in standing by Robin, but I couldn’t help but wince when I imagined the impact they could have on my own life.
When I pulled up to the law firm, I parked my car and tried to straighten out the suit I was wearing before I walked inside. The lobby was immaculate with not even a single sign of dust anywhere. It was decorated in a modern style with sleek black leather chairs and glass surfaces. The receptionist was pretty and pleasant where she sat behind the front desk. I approached her with my most charming smile.
“Good afternoon, I’m here to see Robin Bratton,” I told her as I leaned my forearm on the counter.
“She’s up on the second floor,” the woman replied and pointed me toward the elevator.
I thanked her and strode toward the shiny, silver doors. As I rode upward to Robin’s floor, I took in a deep breath and tried to calm myself. It was too late now to go back. I was already in too deep; I couldn’t fail Robin now.
The doors opened and I saw Robin’s familiar face sat behind a desk right in front of me. I headed straight for her with my best impression of an adoring boyfriend smile on my face. When she saw me, Robin’s face lit up and she stood.
“There you are, sweetheart!” I called out, far louder than necessary.
“Hey Spencer,” she greeted. “It’s so good to see you. Are you ready to go for lunch?”
“I couldn’t be more ready. I always love going to lunch with my girlfriend!”
Robin smiled at my demonstration for the benefit of her office. I took a quick peek over her shoulder and saw an older man watching the interaction with a grimace permanently etched onto his miserable face. He had a full head of gray hair except for the crown where he had a rather large bald spot. As Robin and I continued our little charade for the benefit of her colleagues, he stood up and began walking toward us with his rotund belly stretching his shirt so tight that it looked like his buttons might ping off at any moment.
“Is that him?” I whispered under my breath.
Robin peered over her shoulder before turning back and nodding. “That’s him, that’s Archie,” she confirmed.
I nodded to her and began to mentally prepare for the confrontation that seemed inevitable at this point. When Archie finally reached us, he didn’t say anything for a long time. Instead, his eyes dragged down my body as though he were giving me a once over. I immediately knew I detested the man. His face looked as though he was constantly frowning and I imagined that he truly was as hard to get rid of as Robin had explained.
