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“Because we have a ring to buy. I’m not risking it.”
She laughed loudly. “Don’t be silly. Besides, the store is closed by this time on Saturday. But wecanorder takeout for supper.”
“No more takeout. I’ll make us breakfast for dinner later.”
“Pancakes?”
“Becky, pancakes aren’t very healthy. Ham and eggs.”
“But I’ve had a hard day,” she said with a pout.
“I guess you have, and you’ve been a good girl. Blueberry whole wheat pancakes and ham it is.”
“Yay! With Rocky Road ice cream on top.”
“What? No, absolutely not.”
“You promised me Rocky Road ice cream.”
“No more desserts this week.”
“That’s not fair. I can’t help it if you promised me something and then forgot and promised me something else too.”
He quickly scooped her up, his long legs eating the distance between the living room and the kitchen. “Then you had better eat all the healthy parts first. I’m throwing in some walnuts with the blueberries.”
“Fine.” He popped her backside lightly and quirked his brow when she looked up at him indignantly. “Sorry. That will be wonderful, Daddy.”
“I thought so.” He dropped a kiss on her nose and sat her on a stool at the kitchen bar. She squeaked and hopped off, rubbing her afflicted bottom. She looked up just in time to see Carter’s grin as he turned to the refrigerator. Meanie. She loved him so much.
Chapter 9
Jac had brought Becky in on the last strategy meetings on what they had found out concerning her accident, and this time was no different. Carter thought it was bringing up things that he wanted her to forget, but when Jac had offered Becky to sit in on the meeting, she had accepted. Usually, Becky would only sit in on specific meetings if Jac needed her. He could record the conversation, and the technology was covered by Kaden and Sharlee.
Jac was a man with many irons in the fire, and it was up to him to oversee every team and keep up with clients he cultivated or that found him. Those that he said weren’t too much of a pain in his ass. Becky realized that even with the less desirable businessmen or women, if they didn’t ask him to do something he was morally against and they paid well enough, he found someone willing to do the task.
The men that aligned themselves with Jacquard & Associates did so because they believed in what they did and if they had a personal issue with something, they could bow out. They had done many things in their earlier careers that they had no say about and didn’t always agree with. Their leaders were not always upstanding citizens and sometimes let power go to their heads.
Jac didn’t put up with that shit. If he got that feedback from someone, he watched and had Garrett and others watch. If they verified the issue, the person in question was out on his ear whether he was operative or client. Callie and Sharlee were theonly women on the teams, and Jac tried to keep them out of the line of fire. Callie didn’t like that very much, but Jac had explained that Garrett would have his ass on a platter and then bury the rest of him alive if he put Callie where they knew there would likely be active gunfire or danger.
Callie paced the room. “Jac, that’s sexist.”
“No, that’s the rule. We have already discussed this before you signed on the dotted line. If you have a problem with it, go to Garrett, and if he clears you for that kind of active danger, then he can assign you to those jobs. I won’t. And if you think you can slide in when no one is looking, ask Sharlee how that worked out for her.”
Garrett had quickly cleared up any misunderstanding about the cases she was welcome to be in on and where that line was drawn. There were a select few she wasn’t to be considered for, but the rest were open season for all but Sharlee. Becky agreed that these guys were too protective sometimes, but when needed, she knew the women were glad for it.
Waiting until Jac was ready to go into the conference room set aside for Carter’s team, she let her thoughts move to her father and the inventory discrepancies. Tax time would be soon, so she knew it needed to be correct to report to the accountant. She had gone down and spent the day and night with her parents, but it was obvious she was going to have to do something else.
Her father thought that his brother’s inventory had been mixed in by mistake or that the two business’ paperwork was confused somehow. Suddenly, it was no big deal to her father, but it still didn’t make sense to Becky. Why now, after years of never having this happen? She’d figure it out this weekend and then encourage her father to retire.
His memory was getting spotty, and he seemed much more gullible than he had even been a year ago. The story is thatthe warehouse manager might be at fault. Too much work, not enough workers. Putting the issue aside until she could visit her parents and discuss it with her dad, Becky followed Jac into the conference room.
Becky sat on the left side of Jac, which was her usual spot in the meetings, with Sharlee on his right. Carter sat next to Becky. Garrett typically sat at the other end of the table, with Callie next to him. Since most of the guys had significant others now, they filled in, leaving space for any wife or girlfriend who might have needed to be part of a meeting.
Mallory never came to a business meeting, stating she liked her work but was considering sitting on the board. She’d chosen not to return to the pharmacy where she’d been kidnapped from, not once but twice. Now working as a distance pharmacist where no one knew or saw her was perfect. She would follow up on medications mailed out to customers to ensure they didn’t need help understanding the side effects or had questions about their prescriptions.
Ivy was doing a brisk business in her martial arts studio, and Jessie was the head numbers cruncher for Jacquard & Associates. Right now, accounting wasn’t her biggest worry. It was her unbending husband, Mark, during this pregnancy. Becky sighed wistfully.
She felt Carter lean over to whisper in her ear, “Bec, you okay?”
