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Josh leaned back and gazed at Marcy. “I remember those times. Boy, do I remember them. Marcy, I told Sam I would be sure he was compensated for the extra burden I was putting on him. This person will be getting more business for us like I do. He’ll be me when I can’t be here because of Sophie.
“Miguel needs to understand more will fall on him and Sam, nothing will change except to get better for him.”
“I’ll talk to him.” She rolled those big, brown eyes of hers again and Josh smiled at her. “Will you let us know if you need anything at all, please? I can always cook meals or help you with Sophie if she needs care. She was good to me after our baby was born.”
He tilted his head to the side, frowning just a bit. Josh thought that Marcy was hinting at more than she was saying.
“She brought supplies sometimes, Josh,” Marcy admitted. “Miguel has a lot of pride. He would be crushed if he knew. It was our secret, mine and Sophie’s. Please keep it that way.”
He nodded. “Tell him to be here bright and early tomorrow morning. Come with me to my office to get his keys. I’ll be at Sophie’s first oncology appointment. Miguel knows what to do.”
Marcy followed Josh down the hall to his office. He placed the key to the front door in her hand. “Thank you, Josh.”
“Thank you. You’re doing me a favor. I was going to call him later and ask him to reconsider.”
“I’ll let him know that. It should ease his pride a little,” Marcy informed him. She pressed Josh’s hands. “I’ll pray for her, Josh.”
“Thank you, Marcy. That’s all we can ask.”
He walked with Marcy to the front door. He had so much more that he wanted to accomplish tonight but all he could think of doing was just going home to Sophie.
In his office, he grabbed his keys and his phone then he turned off the light. He flipped off the ones in the main, office except for the night light, over the door. Punching the security code on the key pad, Josh waited for the beep, then he opened the door and walked through. His mind was on auto-pilot now. He just wanted to go home. He was locking the door when an unfamiliar car pulled into the lot.
He shook his head, hoping they just wanted directions. Josh headed towards the car, it was getting much darker outside. He was almost on top of the car when he realized that it was Ben in the expensive vehicle.
“Man, it’s been a long time.”
“I saw you locking up. I thought I would just say hello.”
Josh saw through that statement. There was more to this coincidence that he was about to hear. “How are you?”
Ben was the same, yet different. He was a financial wizard from what Josh had heard about him. He didn’t look like he was happy even though he supposedly had millions like his parents.
Like him, Ben’s eyes had fine lines at the corners. His body had filled out. If he was anything like him, he didn’t run as fast, lift as heavy and somedays, the old body just hurt a little more. Otherwise, he had no complaints. Ben’s hair was about the color of Hannah’s, a deep, dark, brown.
He looked at his friend trying to see the woman he had treated like a daughter because Ben hadn’t been here for her. She didn’t really look like Kai. She had Ben’s eyes and his coloring and that was about it, he thought while looking at the man, her father, thinking about the young woman she had become.
“The wife took half of my estate. She’s happy.” That was the last part of Ben’s statement that he heard.
“Sorry to hear that,” Josh replied.
“Money isn’t everything, I learned that the hard way.”
He had. He gave up Kai and Hannah for money that his parents promised he would lose if he didn’t go to school. He went to the University of South Carolina and he stayed in the south. Other than money he had nothing that Josh could see.
“So, you came home?”
“Mom has breast cancer,” he explained, glancing up at Josh. “Second round. She’s not going to make it this time. Dad isn’t dealing with it well. Callie and I were divorcing so I sold my business and decided what the hell, I’m going home to Cooper. Who knows maybe I have a chance with my daughter I’ve never seen. What do you think? Will Kai give me her blessing? If she will, maybe Hannah will see me?”
Josh licked his lips. “Man, you have great timing.” Josh kicked the toe of his shoe around in the gravel. They didn’t have an asphalt drive. The trucks would destroy it coming in and out daily.
“Why is that?” Ben squinted at Josh.
He sighed. “Sophie has breast cancer too. We see her oncologist tomorrow to talk about treatment which should start soon.”
His brown eyes turned and looked straight through the glass windshield of his black, Mercedes. He shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Josh.” His tone was husky. “I hate what my mom is going through. I can’t imagine watching my wife go through it too. I know how crazy you are about Sophie.”
He dropped the second bomb on Ben. “Kai is expecting her second child with her husband Roman in about four months. I’m not sure now is the best time to stress her out.”
