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“Work is going to take longer than I thought,” I told her.“I can get Ms.Maynard here.”
“Absolutely not,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at me.
“Okay, that’s fine.Sarah will be happy with you here.I was just checking because Thatcher said this could go into next week, Thanksgiving even.”
Oakley narrowed her eyes.“Thatcher?What does he have to do with your company?Since when is he into anything to do with media marketing?”
I stared at her.What did I say to this?I was leaving her here in my house to take care of my kid.She knew things.She’d heard enough.She might not have all the facts, but she wasn’t an idiot.
Her hands dropped to her sides, and she studied me as I mentally scrambled for a good excuse.Lying was typically easy when it came to my work.Why was I having a hard time doing it now?
“Wilder,” she said in a whisper.“Are you telling me that you … work with the Shephards?Do you also work with the Kingstons?”
I tensed.Fuck.I didn’t have time for this.“Yes.Our families have always worked together,” I replied tightly.“Can you stay with Sarah that long?I need to go.Thatcher is waiting.My car will be here while I’m gone.The keys are by the garage door.Use it.It’s safer than that thing you drive.”
I saw her flinch, as if I’d slapped her.I hadn’t meant it as an insult.Just a fact.I wasn’t crazy about Sarah riding around in a car that could break down at any minute.
“My car is fine,” she said between her teeth.
“My car is better,” I replied.“Please don’t make this a fight.Just take care of Sarah.Drive my car.”I grabbed my wallet out of my pocket and pulled out my Amex.“Take this.Stop using your money on things for Sarah’s entertainment and this house.I’ll pay for it even if it’s shit we don’t need.”
Oakley looked at the card, then back at me, her eyes like blue flames.Damn, she was sexy when she was angry.Who was I kidding?She was always sexy.
“I can afford to entertain my niece.Keep the card.We will be fine.”
Frustrated, I dropped the card on the table beside me.She drove a piece-of-shit car that should have been hauled to the junkyard years ago and sold shit on Etsy.She did not have the money to be spending on all this holiday stuff.
“It’s there if you need it.I can’t force you to use it.”I walked past her, needing to get away from her and out of the house before Thatcher came inside, bitching.
I would tell Sarah bye, explain I might be longer but that she would have Oakley, and leave.
“Wilder,” Oakley said quietly.
I paused, but didn’t turn to look back at her.
“Be careful,” she said.“Sarah needs you.”
Inhaling sharply, I nodded, then left the room before she said anything else.
Fifteen
Oakley
Three days, and not one call or text.I stared at my phone while chewing on my thumbnail, messing up my latest manicure.
Sarah had fallen asleep on the sofa, watchingChristmas Vacation.I had thrown a blanket over her and left her there while I went to get a bath.Pretending like I wasn’t worried around her all day had progressively gotten harder.Every minute we continued not to hear from Wilder, the more concerned I got.
The first two days he had been gone, he’d called Sarah each afternoon at five.The last she had heard from him was a text three days ago, saying he was trying to get his work done so he could make it back for Thanksgiving.Then, nothing.
I wasn’t going to get any sleep if I didn’t know if Sarah’s father was alive.
The rumors people had told about the Kingston, Shephard, Salazar, and Jones families were exaggerated in our youth.Sebastian had assured me of that when we were dating.However, he had admitted that they had some business that could get dangerous.Possibly not always legal.
I stood, and Belladonna lifted her head and stared up at me.
“Stay,” I told her quietly, and then I snatched up my phone from the coffee table and dialed Wilder’s number for the first time in … well, nine years as I left the living room and headed for the kitchen.On the third ring, my heart started to race.One more ring, and the voice mail was going to answer.
“Is Sarah okay?”Wilder’s voice asked.
