Daughter Dearest

by Nikki Bopp

  “Am I alright?” Barking out a harsh laugh, I level a glare at Nicholas, who blanches. “Would you be alright learning that your best friend’s wife is cheating on her? With the guy that you're currently on a date with? Perhaps it's the insults that you have no problem disguising with compliments or that you haven't asked one thing about me other than the car accident last week?”

  “You looked at my phone?” Nicholas has the audacity to look angry, his eyes burning into me with his emotions.

  “Yes, I looked at your phone. Anyone would have when you get a picture of a naked married woman.” Shoving away from the table, I ignore the sound of the chair, hitting the wooden floor with a crash. “You're disgusting. HR, my ass. To help a married woman cheat is the worst kind of low, and I can't believe you of all people would stoop to that level. When Mia leaves her lying, cheating ass, you can have her all to yourself. As for me? I like to wear my hair up. Go fuck yourself, Nicholas!”

  Yanking my purse onto my shoulder, the strap snaps under the force, but I don't stop my march to the door without a backward glance. Thankfully it hasn't started raining yet, but I'm sure it will happen soon with the lightning and rumbling thunder. Inhaling deeply, I start the trek home through the dark that has fallen over the city.

  “Hey!” Nicholas calls from behind me just before a hand wraps around my upper arm, forcing me around to face his fuming form. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You can't speak to me that way.”

  “I can speak to you any way I want to,” ripping my arm from his grasp, I take a step back to put some distance between the pissed off man and myself. “Do not touch me.”

  “Listen here, you bitch…,” he reaches forward to grab me again, but another voice stops him short.

  “I do believe the lady asked you not to touch her, Nicholas.” Edward steps from the shadows of the building we’re stopped in front of, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his torn-up jeans.

  Nicholas squints into the darkness, trying to figure out who has joined us, and when he does, his face freezes into a mask of shock. “Mr. Maccini?”

  “In the flesh,” moving closer until he's standing slightly in front of me, Edward angles his body towards Nicholas. I can only see his profile, but even I can tell that the blank expression is nothing I want to be aimed at me.

  “What are you doing here, Edward? Everything is fine,” my voice is reedy even to my own ears, lessening the effectiveness of my words.

  “Everything is not fine. Don't try to bullshit the bullshitter,” Edward aims the words at me but keeps his attention on Nicholas. “Now, I think it's time that Mr. Grant heads home.”

  “Edward-,” Nicholas begins only for his words to stutter to a halt when Edward steps into his personal space, teeth barred as he towers over the shorter man. I didn't realize until this moment how tall Edward is, and while Nicholas is no slump in the muscle department, he looks like a twig in comparison. The last thing I need right now is for the CFO to get into a brawl with the head of HR, though, who knows what kind of PR nightmare that would be.

  Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I step into Edward’s back, feeling the muscles tense at the contact. “Please, don’t.” I murmur loud enough for only him to hear. My head lands in the center of his back, my hand wrapping around his forearm in hopes that he won't push me away. “I just want to go home.”

  Almost like a balloon losing its air, Edward’s entire body seems to deflate in front of me, and while he doesn't back down, he backs away, which is probably for the best because Nicholas strikes me as the type of man to stab someone in the back. Mia is evidence of that.

  “I'll see you at work, Mr. Grant.” With the last of his words, Edward turns and ushers me back towards the direction of the restaurant. Idling outside is a familiar SUV. Ben jumps out of the driver’s seat to open the door for us, his face tight with anger. I didn't even think about asking Wyatt to come back and pick me up after dropping off Mia and Eva. I just assumed that Nicholas would drive me home. I suppose it's a good thing that Edward was around to jump to my rescue. I just wish I didn't have to be rescued.

  “How did you know where I was?” My voice is quiet in the dark car, the city a blur outside of my window. Edward shifts in his seat, but I refuse to look knowing that I won't be able to handle the disappointment, or perhaps disgust on his face. I shouldn't have put myself in that situation, and a lot of people would probably say that I was asking for it, but that's complete bullshit. No one asks to be attacked, or lord forbids, raped. I don't know what would have happened had he not stepped in, but I'm glad that he did. I just don't want him to know it after this week’s tension.

  “Look at me, Jennifer,” Edward demands after a few moments of silence. I try as hard as possible to resist, but when he slides closer on the seat, I can't help but turn my eyes towards him. The disgust I expected isn't there. Instead, I am confronted by sympathy and tenderness.

  “I know what you're thinking, and I want you to stop right now.” Reaching forward, Edward cradles my cheek in his warm hand. “No one deserves to be treated the way you were. You did nothing wrong, and he is a piece of shit for trying to intimidate you. Don't think that this has anything to do with you, because I've known that man for many years and unfortunately, this isn't anything new.”

  “And you just let him continue?”

  “We have attempted to bring an end to it before, but everyone that would be willing to sign an affidavit about what happened suddenly quits and disappears before we can get any evidence. Nicholas has made it quite clear in the past that he will sue us for wrongful termination if we don't have evidence.”

  “Can he do that? I thought Washington was an ‘At-Will’ state?”

  “We are, but Nicholas claims that he will sue for discriminatory reasons.”

  “For what? Being a dick?”

  Chuckling under his breath, Edward leans back in his seat with a slight smile on his face. “I wish that were the case,” his chest expands with a deep breath, an obvious attempt at calming himself after the near fight. “Now, go inside and get some rest. I'm sure Mia will be happy you're home early.”

  His words confuse me, but when I look out the window, I'm surprised to find us parked outside of my apartment. I didn't even feel the car slow, let alone come to a halt. My hand reaches for the door handle but stops before actually opening the door.

  This is the first time all week that there isn't tension surrounding us. I can feel the peace between us, the warmth of just being around each other. I wish I could just throw myself into his arms and forget about the rest of the night and the world. Try as we might, there's an undeniable sense of feelings between us. I just wish I had the damn courage to act on it.

  Shaking myself from my thoughts, I push the door open and slide to the cement without a look back into the car. It's not until I'm unlocking my door that Edward’s voice stops me.

  “Daniel wanted me to remind you about the butterfly pavilion tomorrow.”

  Whirling around in surprise, because I'm pretty sure I said ‘Maybe, we’ll see,’ I'm dismayed to see the black SUV disappearing down the street. They don't understand what ‘mom speak’ is, because ‘maybe, we’ll see’ generally means no. I don't mind taking Eva to the butterfly pavilion, but the idea of spending the entire day in a personal setting with Daniel Price sounds like torture. The man already sets my nerves on fire at work. It's typically from him pissing me off and then making me want to throw myself at him, but that's beside the point.

  The key to the building slides in easily, the lock clicking loudly and making me wish it was Daniel’s neck instead. Or maybe Edward’s.

  Wow. I can't believe I thought that. Scolding my own thoughts, I shake away the terrible image and head inside to see what kind of mischief Eva decided to get into since mom wasn't around.

  Chapter 18

  Heart Flutters

  “Danny!” Eva screams bloody murder, her voice carrying across the entire parking lot of the Pacific Science C
enter. People stop in their tracks to stare in surprise at the tiny girl sprinting full force into Daniel, who simply swings her up into his arms.

  “Oh my gosh, have you gotten bigger since last weekend?” Daniel asks with wide eyes, jostling Eva as though gauging her weight. Eva giggles in delight, throwing her arms around Daniel with a laugh.

  Looking at me over his shoulder, Daniel takes in the tight skinny jeans and T-shirt that rides just a little too high for my comfort. He quirks a brow at me, his lips curling into a grin that makes my entire body clench in excitement. I normally wouldn't be caught dead in anything that even has the possibility of showing my tummy, but unfortunately, my lazy butt does laundry on Sundays, which means that I have absolutely nothing decent in my closet at the moment. Maybe if I had known about the butterfly trip before last night, I might have been able to do a load.

  When the door behind Daniel slams closed, I'm surprised to see Patrick standing there with a smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. I'm even more surprised when he hands them to Eva rather than me. Is it conceited of me to assume they were for me? The look of happiness on Eva’s face is far more precious, though.

  “Hello again Evangeline, how are you?” Patrick asks with an open face and a kind smile, but then again, I would expect nothing less from him. Out of the three of them, Patrick is by far the most patient and gentle of them, and I appreciate that more than he will ever know.

  “I'm okay,” turning in Daniel’s arms, Eva holds the flowers up so I can see the blooms. “Mommy! Look at the pretty flowers!”

  “They’re pretty, aren't they?” Even from my position, I can smell the intoxicating bouquet. “But what do you say to Patrick?”

  “Thank you!” Eva sings, smashing the flowers against her chest, destroying them in the process, but the joy on her face is something that can't be deterred by something so silly.

  “Of course, Miss Eva. Is it alright if I join you today to look at the butterflies?”

  “Yes!” Wiggling until Daniel puts her down, Eva hands me the flowers and then starts towards the front entrance of the science center. I've never been here myself, but being that the space needle is right next door, it was easy enough to figure out where we were going. It seems like everyone in Washington decided to take advantage of the sunshine and warm weather. Thankfully we didn't have to navigate traffic ourselves, and for that, I'm grateful to have Wyatt at our disposal.

  “How are you?” Daniel murmurs, falling in with me as we follow behind Eva’s animated form, watching as Patrick attempts to corral her near the ticketing area.

  “I'm fine.” The typical reply for anyone and everyone is who most definitely not okay, especially not after last night. Any good friend would have immediately jumped in and ripped off the bandaid that is holding Mia’s heart together by a tether, but I couldn't. The moment I stepped into the living room and the couch turned fort, I was enveloped in a bubble of happiness and love that I couldn't bear to destroy.

  Later, I tell myself. When the moment is right.

  The thing is, the moment is never right to destroy someone's marriage and life. I'm just waiting for the time to not completely tear down my best friend, so I can be there to help her and offer her comfort. I've been there, I've experienced a failed marriage, and it's certainly no fun, but she's strong enough to pull herself out of it.

  I'm pulled from my thoughts by Daniel’s hand brushing against mine, and when I meet his eyes, it’s to find them darkened with concern. “What's wrong?”

  “I found out last night that Mia’s wife is cheating with Nicholas Grant from HR,” slowing to a stop, I drop my head in shame at admitting my next words. “I should have told Mia last night, but I didn't.”

  “Why not?”

  “She was so happy. She and Eva had made a pillow fort of my living room and made all kinds of cookies and popcorn. I couldn't imagine hurting her like that, I couldn't imagine hurting her like that ever.”

  “You’ll find a way to tell her, in a way that's right for both of you. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way, though. That's going to be hard.”

  “Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.” Giving him a brief smile, I hurry to catch up with Patrick and Eva waiting at the doors for us.

  “Everything okay?” Patrick asks with a furrowed brow, holding the door open so we can pass through first.

  “Yeah, but thanks for asking, Pat.” I don't miss the flicker of a smile at my use of his nickname.

  Daniel

  “Did you see the blue one? It landed right on my face!” Eva laughs hysterically from her seat beside me. After an hour and a half of exploring the butterfly exhibit, Eva loudly declared that she was hungry, so we decided to stop at the cafe in the science center for a quick lunch. Eva chose a corn dog of all things, and a triple chocolate brownie, something that looks to have enough sugar that she won't sleep for at least a week. The rest of us got sandwiches on their homemade bread that is delicious and almost rivals the deli across the street from PRI.

  “I like the orange and black ones,” Jenny declares after swallowing a bite of food, my eyes following the line of her throat. Oh, how I wished to kiss that flesh.

  “The monarchs?” I ask, forcing my thoughts away by sheer force. Jenny nods her head, a smile in place, but her eyes are more distant than she has been all day. And that's saying something.

  Ed, of course, told us what happened last night, so, understandably, she's not all here today. I had hoped that by pushing the envelope for this little field trip, it might help my case with Eva but also to help bring the three of us closer to Jenny as well. Being that Ed is off taking care of family business, it's fallen to Pat and me to get the job done, and I just don't think we’re doing all that good honestly. I've attempted multiple times to try and get her to talk to me, pulled her aside and offered comfort or a shoulder if she needed to talk, but she's so deeply entrenched in herself, it's hard to know what to say.

  “Next time, can we go see the fish?” Eva asks, her huge doe eyes turned towards me.

  “Eva!” Jenny scolds from across the table, her mouth pinched in distaste.

  “It’s okay,” holding my hand out in a placating gesture, I ignore the glare she directs at me. Shifting my gaze to Eva, I boop her on the nose with a smile. “I would love to go see the fish next time, but it's up to your mother. She gets to make these decisions because she's your mom.”

  From the corner of my eye, I can make out Jenny going from rigid and angry to surprised and relaxed in the space of a second. From her history, and what the private investigator could find, she's probably so used to men trying to control her life.

  I don't want to be that man. I want to be by her side, hold her up, and offer comfort when needed. I want to see this woman flourish on her own free will.

  “So, what do you ladies have planned for the rest of the day? Anything fun?” Patrick asks, wiping his hands on a paper napkin before tossing it onto his empty plate. The question causes Jenny’s face to screw up in thought.

  “Uh, I don't think so. I need to do some laundry and get groceries, but that's about it.”

  “Well, that's a lazy enough day,” I interject with a short laugh.

  “I wouldn't say lazy,” Jenny rolls her eyes and tilts her head towards Eva, who is now shoving the chocolate brownie in her mouth. “I also have to try to keep the house from burning down.”

  “Better you than me,” Patrick murmurs with wide eyes as Eva somehow is able to get the entire square into her mouth at once. Jenny and I both burst into a round of laughter loud enough to make Eva pause in her manic chewing.

  “Whuf pft,” she attempts to speak around the baked good, chunks of chocolate being shot onto the table in the process and making us laugh all the harder. It's only when Jenny’s phone begins to ring do we attempt to reign in the hilarity, and while she digs in her purse for the device, I get up to grab some more napkins to clean the table of brownie crumbs.

  “Hello?” Jenny answer
s the call just as I finish wiping up the mess. Tossing the napkins in the trash can, I take a seat only to be confronted by Jenny’s ghostly white face looking back at me. Instantly, all my defenses go into overdrive, prepared to defend her against anything and everybody, but even the logical side of my brain knows that the attack is coming through the cell phone pressed against Jenny’s cheek.

  “I-I-,” Jenny’s mouth snaps shut when someone on the other line snaps out a reply so loud I can hear it from across the table. Instantaneously, I know who is on the other line, and I want more than anything to reach through the cheap device and rip the bastard through just so I can see his smarmy face before I beat the living shit out of him for treating my woman in such a way. At this very moment, I do not doubt that she is mine, ours, and I’ll be damned before I let him put one filthy finger on her or Eva ever again. I would rather die.

  “Give me the phone,” my hand reaches across the table for the phone, but she leans away before I'm able to snag the phone. “Jennifer Ray, give it to me. Now.” I'm going to end this right now and make it perfectly clear that she is protected, and if he wants to try something, he will have to go through us first.

  “Mommy?” Eva asks in a voice filled with anxiety, the little girl picking up on the distress from her mom. Pat and I lock eyes, a split-second decision being made in the mute silence between us. The moment I move across the table to take the phone from Jenny, Pat stands up and whisks Eva to the gift shop next door to the cafe, her face instantly lighting up at all the colorful toys inside, her mother quickly forgotten.

  “Jenny, give me the phone,” I whisper under my breath so only she can hear, my form towering over her in her seat. Unluckily for me, the position gives her an advantage because she's able to curl into herself and prevent me from taking the phone unless I wanted to make a scene. Instead, I crouch down beside her, my arm lying across her back in an offer of comfort. I can feel her entire body shaking. “Please. Hang up.”