“What did he do?” Cody placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll kill him.”
“No. He’s not worth it.” Fisher felt hollow.
“Hey, look. I know men can be stupid sometimes. But I can see that he cares for you. It’s been obvious from the minute he got here.”
“It’s a lie.” She somehow kept her voice from breaking. Too bad she couldn’t say the same thing about her heart. “He’s just trying to get on the inside so he can somehow buy you out.”
“Like we’d ever sell.” Cody laughed, but she didn’t find anything about this situation amusing. “Especially not when things are going so well.”
“His boss seems pretty determined.” And rich. She could tell just by the clothes he wore. And the attitude. He had that attitude of someone who was used to getting what he wanted. Because he could buy anyone.
He’d obviously bought Kyle.
“You are determined. That’s one of the reasons we gave you this promotion.” Cody wasn’t listening.
“Not me. His real boss. The guy in the suit.” Fisher couldn’t compete with that. “I’d bet he flew a Lear jet up from LA.”
“Yeah, so?” Cody wouldn’t be swayed by a lot of money or flash. “When we started this business, we still rode the rapids in old bucket boats. Some of them were more patches than raft. But we worked our way up. Eventually we bought a couple of self-bailers. And just this last year we were able to purchase more state-of-the-art equipment.”
“Yeah. I know how hard you and Carson worked to get where you are.” Her heart broke, mostly because Kyle was missing out on a relationship with two really great guys. “But he resents everything you have. It’s personal.”
“Whoa.” Cody seemed shocked and maybe a little offended. “Just because he heard rumors that you used to have a little crush on me, that’s no reason for him to resent me.”
Fisher let out a heavy sigh. “First of all, it wasn’t a rumor. I did have a crush on you. A big one. And I told Kyle all about it. The first night we met. But that doesn’t have anything to do with why he wants to destroy you.”
“What are you talking about?” Cody finally dropped his it’s-all-good attitude.
“He’s your brother.” She still felt like she was betraying Kyle, but she couldn’t keep his secret any longer.
“My brother?” Cody just stood there, looking at her like she was nuts. “You’re joking, right?”
She shook her head. “He’s your brother. And he’s never forgiven you and Carson for taking his father away from him.”
“What?” He turned away from her, as if trying to come to grips with the news. “Wait, he thinks we took his father away from him? It was the other way around.”
“What I don’t understand is why your father didn’t bring him here when your grandparents died.” It was one of many questions she’d had.
“You don’t know my father.” Cody’s resentment bubbled to the surface. “He’s by far the most selfish man on the planet.”
“Yeah, well, like father, like son.” She saw the deflated look on Cody’s face and backtracked. “I mean Kyle. Not you.”
“Oh, Fisher. I’m so sorry. I know you really care about him.” Cody put a gentle hand on her shoulder. A gesture of brotherly affection. “And I really thought he cared about you, too.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She shook him off. “I should have listened to you. I never should have hired him.”
“He’s a good guide. But then he was well trained.” Cody shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s too bad I’m going to have to kick his ass.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Fisher knew Cody had her back, but even he couldn’t fix her broken heart. “But you could let him know that he can pick up his final paycheck whenever Lily can get it processed.”
“Damn. I really hoped this would work out for you.” He gave her a quick pat on the back. “I want to see you happy.”
“Hey, it was just supposed to be one night. So I still came out ahead, right?” She couldn’t let on how much she was truly hurting. Especially not with Cody. She was over him. At least she got that out of this whole mess.
She just wished she’d be able to get over Kyle as easily.
Chapter 19
Kyle stood in his RV, stunned that Fisher had walked out on him. He stared at JP, the man who had helped him get everything he’d thought he wanted. But with a few careless words, he may have lost him what he truly wanted.
Fisher.
He shook his head. “I’ve gotta go. You can let yourself out.”
“You’re really going to walk away from me for some piece of ass?” JP shook his head in disbelief. Or maybe it was disappointment. But Kyle was more disappointed in himself than his former boss could ever be.
“Fisher isn’t some piece of ass.” She never had been. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“No. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” JP was starting to sound like a petulant child. Kyle almost expected him to start stomping his feet. “Without me, you’d be no better than your old man.”
“Look, I appreciate all you’ve done for me.” Kyle was grateful, but he didn’t owe the man his life. “And I think you appreciate all I’ve done for you, too. I’ve made you a ton of money. And for the first time, I’ve failed to make the deal. But that doesn’t make me a failure. Surely there will be other opportunities for you. But I’m out.”
With that, Kyle pushed past him and slipped out the door. He headed toward the guides’ house but stopped short when he saw Cody coming toward him. His big brother didn’t look too happy, so he guessed he’d run into Fisher already this morning.
Kyle braced himself for a punch, but Cody simply stared at him, shaking his head.
“I told you not to hurt her.” Cody tensed as if he did indeed want to punch him.
“I know. I know you care about her, but I love her, man. I do. And I’ll fix this. I swear.”
“I don’t know, she’s pretty pissed. She said you’re only here to ruin my business.” Cody relaxed his fists, but he still seemed on edge. “Said you’re pissed at me and Carson for taking your daddy away from you.”
“Our dad.” Kyle knew he should have come clean days ago. “But everything changed the minute I met her. I swear.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I’d love to stay and chat. Catch up on family history, but I’ve got a woman to grovel with.”
Kyle turned once again toward the house. But his path was blocked by the appearance of his father. The man looked like he’d been out all night. His hair stuck up in all directions. Dark circles bagged below his eyes.
“Kyle. Son, I need to talk to you.” Joe Swift took a tentative step toward him.
“Not now. I’ve got a situation.”
“Look, son, I’ve driven all night to get here. I really need you to listen to me.” Another step, this time with his hand outstretched.
“It’s a little late for you to play the devoted father.”
“Please. I know I’ve let you down in the past.” He stopped shuffling toward him, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“In the past?” A lifetime of bitterness threatened to drown him.
“Okay, so your whole life. But I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important. And your mother—”
“What about Mom? Is she sick? Hurt?” Or worse, using again.
“No. Just worried.” Joe Swift shuffled toward him, barely steady on his feet. Was he high? Or just worn out? “We’re both worried. You were supposed to be gone a week.”
“I like it here.” He turned toward Cody and couldn’t help but notice the look on his brother’s face. He recognized that look. A familiar mix of disappointment, resentment, and reluctant affection for the man who’d given them life. “I feel like I belong here. It’s too bad
I had to wait so long to discover this place.”
“Look, Kyle. That was a long time ago.” Joe closed his eyes, regret showing in the creases on his face. “I wanted to bring you, but your mother…”
“Don’t you put this on her.” Kyle’s jaw clenched, along with his fists.
“We both made mistakes, too many to count, but, son”—Joe shook his head—“I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I made.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t. I’ve managed to stay away from drugs, for one thing.” And he’d managed to make a good living so far.
“Maybe you have, but that man you look up to? The one you’ve worked for for so many years? He’s bad news. He’s involved in all kinds of bad stuff.” His father lifted his head, staring Kyle straight in the eye. “Including drugs.”
“No. His business is legitimate.” Kyle looked away, not wanting to believe it. “He deals in companies. Not drugs.”
The door to the RV opened, and JP Wilson stepped out. Kyle got a bad feeling creeping up his spine. He wasn’t sure what to think. He’d never trusted his father, yet, somehow, maybe he’d always known something wasn’t right about Wilson’s business dealings.
“Tell him.” Still, Kyle hoped that he was wrong. That his father was just making things up to…what? Regain his son’s affection? It was too late for that.
“You didn’t get very far.” JP had a smug look on his face. As if he was above everyone else. “Did you change your mind? Are you going to have a deal for me soon?”
“No. There is no deal. I’m done.” Kyle shook his head. “And it doesn’t matter what your business dealings are. Not anymore.”
“You think you can just walk away from me?” JP’s voice boomed.
Both Cody and Joe took steps toward them. Joe looked desperate, but determined to protect his son. And Cody? He looked like a man itching for a fight. But instead of Kyle, he was glaring at JP.
“Yes. I can just walk away.” Kyle had never stood up to the man before. He’d never had to. “So maybe you did take me on when I was desperate. When I needed a job. But I don’t need you anymore. And you don’t need me.”
“I might not need you, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to just get away so easily.” The threat was subtle.
“What? Do we have a contract? No. Just a verbal agreement.” Kyle hoped to hell he wasn’t making things worse. “I would look into this company, with an eye toward buying it. Then, if and when a deal was made, you’d pay me a commission. My standard finder’s fee.”
“Is that what you call it?” JP was referring to the fifty grand or so Kyle had stood to make off the deal.
“I believe my yearly 1099s call it a ‘nonemployee compensation,’ but I’d have to double-check my last tax return.” They’d been very careful to keep his status legitimate but vague. “As an independent contractor, I’m the one who decides when and where I work. And I’ve decided I don’t want to work for you. Not here. And definitely not in LA.”
“Oh, is that so?” JP’s face reddened, his jaw twitching. “I don’t think you understand who you’re dealing with.”
“I think you should leave.” Cody stepped forward. “The man has made it clear that he doesn’t want to work for you. And as this is my property, I’m making it clear that you’re not welcome here.”
“Oh really? And who the hell do you think you are?” JP bellowed.
“I’m his brother. And I’m also a close, personal friend of the county sheriff. I have his direct number.” Cody pulled his phone out of his pocket. “So unless you want to be arrested for trespassing and harassment, I suggest you head on back to your limo or jet or whatever it is that will take you away from here as fast as possible.”
“Is that a threat?” JP glared at him.
“No. Just a fact. And while you’re making your phone calls to your big LA lawyers, my local sheriff’s department will do a thorough background check on you. If you so much as have a parking violation or late tax payment, I’d worry. And speaking of taxes, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to deal with the IRS. They tend to crack down on those employers who try to get out of paying their employment taxes by calling them independent contractors yet treating them like employees. My sister-in-law has a contact down at the Sacramento office. I’m sure she’d be happy to make a few phone calls on Kyle’s behalf.”
JP looked ready to explode. But he took a step back. “This rinky-dink operation isn’t worth it. I’d probably lose money, but not enough to make a decent write-off.”
He stormed off toward the limo that was indeed parked out front.
“Thanks, man.” Kyle heaved a relieved sigh when the car pulled away. “I owe you. And Lily, too. Does she really have a contact at the IRS?”
“Yeah, the guy she calls when our quarterly tax payments are due and the online system goes down.” Cody laughed and patted him on the back. “So why didn’t you tell me we’re brothers?”
Then Cody turned to their father. “Why didn’t you tell me? Did you not know about him?”
“I knew.” Joe Swift hung his head. “I knew I didn’t deserve any of you boys.”
“So why didn’t you bring him with you when Granny died?” Cody asked. Such a simple question, but one Kyle had been afraid to ask his whole life.
“I figured the boy needed his mother.” Joe looked at Kyle with such regret in his eyes.
“You could have brought us both.” Kyle didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“Yeah, we could have used a stepmother.” Cody sounded like a disappointed little kid.
“Too many ghosts.” Joe shook his head.
“So you left him and his mom behind.” Cody pointed to Kyle. “Because my mom died?”
“It’s more than that.” Joe couldn’t quite make eye contact with either son.
“Enlighten us. Please.” Cody obviously had a lot of resentment bottled up, and it was pouring out now. “Because I sure as hell would like to know how you could walk out on us and then walk out on him and still manage to think you’re the only one haunted by ghosts.”
“You see her too?” Joe lifted his head, a look of desperate hope on his face.
“I’m not talking about real ghosts. Shit.” Cody shook his head. He turned away, stomping his feet and flexing his fists. He let out a few heavy breaths before turning back around. “Just go. You’ve done enough damage. I don’t need you here. He doesn’t need you. We’ll take care of each other. Like Carson and I always did.”
“I’ll go.” Joe turned back toward his beat-up old Toyota. “But Kyle? Call your mother. She worries.”
“Yeah. I’ll call her.” Damn if tears didn’t prick his eyes. He wanted to go after the old man. But since he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hug him or slug him, he let him walk away.
“Do you think he really sees her ghost?” Cody asked after what felt like a lifetime. “I mean, is that why he stayed away?”
“It’s possible, I guess.” Kyle rubbed the back of his neck, which was as tight as an overinflated raft. “Maybe he only thought he saw ghosts when he was high. Or maybe he got high to get away from the ghosts?”
“He has a drug problem?” Cody sounded disillusioned. “Shit, I had no idea. Of course, I had no idea he had another family.”
“Surprise.” Kyle’s head was pounding. His neck and shoulders ached, and his stomach was growling. But most of all, his heart was breaking. He needed to get to Fisher. “Look, man, I’d love to play catch-up with you and Carson. We could share notes about our shitty childhoods, but I need to find Fisher. I’ve got to fix things with her before it’s too late.”
“She took off in her Jeep. She was pretty upset. About you only being here to screw us out of our business.”
“Yeah, that asshole said I should sleep with her to make the deal happen.” He wanted to go kick the shit out of the man for that. “Bu
t I swear, she’s the reason I gave up on the deal. Well, the main reason. That, and you guys have a good thing going here. No need to mess with success.”
“What about Fisher? What are you going to do about her?”
“Whatever it takes. I love her, man. I really do. I know it sounds crazy, since I’ve only known her a few weeks, but…”
“I know what you mean. When it hits you, it hits you hard.” Cody had a shitty little grin on his face. “But there’s something you should know about Fisher.”
Shit, was his brother going to give him some advice that would ensure she never spoke to him again?
“What’s that?”
“She’s one of the most loyal and giving people I know.”
“I figured that out on my own, but thanks.”
“What I mean is, she doesn’t give her heart easily, but when she does, she’s all in.” Maybe Cody was aware of any feelings she’d had for him? “But by loving so deeply, that means she can be hurt just as deeply.”
“Yeah, I also figured that out on my own. What I need to know is how to make it up to her.” His frustration level was rising. “I mean, what do I have to offer her?”
“How big would the commission on this place have been?”
“About fifty grand. That’s just about two and a half percent of the selling price.” Kyle didn’t want to crunch numbers here. “I would have made another fifty or sixty on the subsequent sale.”
“Wait. Two percent? I’m not a big numbers guy, but that would mean a selling price of like two million dollars.”
“Yeah. I know it was a lowball offer. But most of the companies I dealt with were in financial trouble, so they often took what they could get.”
“You were going to offer two million dollars?” Cody didn’t seem to be able to wrap his head around the number.
“Yeah, I know, the land itself is probably worth that. With the business and the resort, I would have screwed you good.” He would have felt bad about it until he’d cashed his check.
“Thanks.”
“But you don’t have to worry. Fisher taught me that what you have here is worth more than money.”
Diving In Page 18