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Jobe gave a tired laugh. ‘Why’s that, then?’
‘Because I need your advice.’
‘Well, they say if you live long enough you see everything once...’ Jobe responded. ‘What is it you want?’
Abe could tell that Jobe didn’t really believe that he needed his father’s take on whatever was on his mind, but Abe wasn’t placating his father. ‘I really could use some guidance. I think you’re right and that I should take Naomi to the ball—she deserves an amazing night.’
‘Then what’s stopping you?’
‘I’m not at all sure that she’ll agree to go.’ He didn’t say why. ‘But even if she did I’m rather certain that Ethan and Merida would talk her out of it. They’ll need her to babysit.’ There was an edge to his voice at the final part, and inside Jobe smiled.
‘Well, Ethan was just in and said that Merida’s not up to a black-tie ball.’ He gave his son a wink. ‘I’ll tell them it’s my idea, they’re not going to argue with me.’ He patted his son’s hand. ‘I’m sure we can come up with a plan.’
They did, and it took a few days to thrash it all out, deciding it best not to tell Ethan and Merida until the eve of the ball.
And certainly not to let on to Naomi.
Naomi, with time to think about it, would work out a million reasons why she couldn’t go.
It had to be a surprise.
‘Just avoid her,’ Jobe said, ‘until the day of the ball.’
Abe tried.
There were places to be and people to see, and what’s more there was suddenly more life in Jobe. From having little to do with the details of the ball this year so far, suddenly he wanted everything run past him.
It was a very busy few days.
And not all of them pleasant.
Candice had not taken the break-up well and there were a lot of meetings between Abe and his attorney.
He stood in his office looking out at a cold grey winters day and refused to be screwed over. ‘We weren’t married,’ Abe pointed out. ‘It was a contracted agreement.’
‘And one that you’re breaking.’
‘That’s covered,’ Abe pointed out. ‘There are get-out clauses...’ And then he stopped, because that’s what he did of late.
Since Naomi had come into his life, more and more he was trying to do the right thing—with Khalid, with his father, but, goodness, Candice took every bit of goodwill and milked it for gold.
‘She can have the apartment for a further six months.’
Candice wanted twelve.
Abe stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind him, and was pulling on his coat, ready to head down in the elevator and cool off, when he saw her.
Or rather them.
There was Merida, Ava in her pram, and their very awkward-looking nanny.
‘Hi, Abe.’ Merida gave him a tight smile. ‘We just came in to show off Ava...’
He just stalked past them, and Naomi closed her eyes and asked herself how,how, she could be so crazy about the kind of man who didn’t even stop and say hi to his niece.
But then he halted and looked into the pram and said, of all things, ‘Good morning,’ to a three-week-old, and then he gave a curt nod to Merida.
And he offerednothingto her.
