I lift her up in my arms. ‘What do you plan to do today?”
She looks at Rebecca. “What are we going to do?”
Rebecca pours another cup of coffee. “I was thinking we could go to the zoo. How does that sound?”
She claps her hands. “Daddy, can you go, too?”
I look at her little face, so sincere. How can I say no to that?
“Your wish is my command.” I put her down and check my calendar. I call Kris and move everything but the first appointment. It’s a skype meeting. I can do that from here, and we can go after I am finished.
I catch Margaret’s look as I go to the library to prepare for my meeting. She’s watching me. I can’t tell if she approves or disapproves. I know what she is thinking, though. This isn’t like me.
I loosen my tie. I think it’s going to be a good day for shorts and a t-shirt. The thought makes me smile.
One of the perks about being the boss is that I can take off and no one can give me any flack but myself.
***
After my call, I change into a t-shirt and shorts. They almost feel foreign to me. I’m usually in a suit and tie most waking hours. This is gonna be fun!
We set out a little after ten in the morning. I’ve never taken Holly to the zoo. I feel guilty when I see Holly’s joy as she sees a zebra for the first time. We stroll amongst the different animals. Holly’s favorite are the giraffes.
“Look at their necks, Daddy,” she says as I am holding her up. “How did their necks get so long?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe they got tired of sharing with the shorter animals.”
She tucks her head into my neck. “That’s silly.”
I can’t argue with her. I honestly have no idea. What I do know is that I will treasure this day forever. Seeing her eyes light up at each new animal brings my heart joy. I don’t do enough of these things with her. I need to change. Rebecca has made me see that.
“What do you say we get some ice cream?” Rebecca suggests, breaking me from my thoughts.
Holly jumps up and down excitedly. “I want chocolate!”
Rebecca gives me a knowing look. “Chocolate marshmallow?”
I smile. “You remember.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you kidding? I will never forget that time you pitched a fit in Frosty’s because they stopped carrying it!”
I give her an unapologetic look. “I know what I like.”
She grins wickedly. “I saw how much you like it when I peeked in your freezer!”
I’m busted. “Guilty.”
I watch Rebecca as she hands Holly her ice cream cone. I wish I could believe in this, but something seems oddly off. Rebecca seems like she wants to open up, but she always pulls back. I don’t know why, but I’m willing to find out.
When we return home, we are all soaking wet, the Georgia heat taking as hot as ever.
I go to take a shower. I change into fresh clothes. I check in on Holly. The scene that greets me makes me smile. Holly is curled up next to Rebecca, both sleeping peacefully. Barkley is on Holly’s other side. Holly is surrounded by love. That’s the way every child should feel. Secure and loved.
I close the door. I am lucky. Very, very lucky. I decide they have a great idea. A nap sounds great.
***
I awaken to Barkley jumping on my bed and licking my face. “What the heck?”
Holly jumps on the bed, too. “Daddy, it’s time for dinner!”
I jump up, looking at the clock. How did this happen? I never sleep this long in the afternoon.
I give Rebecca a reproachful look. “You should have woken me.”
She laughs. “From the looks of it, you needed it. There was a moment when I wanted to wipe the drool from your lips.”
I bring my hand to my mouth. She’s right. How embarrassing! “How long have you been here?”
She cackles. “A while. It’s been fun. You sleeping is a far cry from the man in the suit.”
She holds her hand out to me. “Come on. Margaret and Arthur are waiting.”
As I take her hand, I wonder what I have gotten myself into.
CHAPTER 8
Rebecca
It’s been a week since I have moved in. Holly is a sweet little girl with an old soul. Something in her eyes belies her youth. She is constantly taking in everything around her. I have worked with gifted children before, but she is a true prodigy. Cameron is right to hire a specialized nanny so early. It is clear to me that Holly is special. At four, she is already recognizing words as I read them to her, jumping in as I am reading to finish a sentence. It’s almost eerie to watch and realize what is happening.
It is her interaction with Barkley, however, that intrigues me the most. It is obvious that he was a victim of abuse at one time. Sometimes it appears as though they are having a silent conversation just in the way they look at each other. All she has to do is look at him and he is immediately by her side.
I smile as I think of the two of them. Last I checked in on her, she was still sleeping soundly with Barkley curled up at her feet. They will be up shortly, and the peace and quiet of the morning will be long forgotten.
I make a pot of coffee and take a cup onto the terrace. It is still early, but the day is already hot. It is late August, with little relief from the heat in sight.
“I think it’s going to be another steamer today,” Cameron says from behind me.
I jump at the sound of his voice, nearly spilling my coffee. I give him a sheepish look. “You startled me.”
He grins. “That’s twice. I’ll have to remember you’re jumpy. I can have some fun with that!”
“I was going to whip up an omelet if you’re interested?” I tell him.
He just shakes his head. “I’ve never been much of a breakfast person.”
I look at him in disbelief. “Since when? I remember you downing a stack of my mom’s pancakes every morning during the summer when you would help my dad on the farm.” I feel a stab of pain as I recall those better days before his family betrayed mine before my mother betrayed my father and me and left us.
He takes a seat in one of the wicker rockers on the other side of the table from me. “I think that’s the first time you’ve mentioned your family since you’ve been here. How is your mom?” He takes a sip of coffee. “She made the best chocolate buttered biscuits. Man! Your parents could have paid me with those and gotten away with it. Glad your dad never figured that out.”
My fingers tighten on my mug. “She’s fine.” Like I would know.
He gives me a cautious look. “Did I just say something wrong?”
“No.” I try to act as though nothing is wrong. So what if he and his family tore mine apart? How can he even have the nerve to ask, knowing what happened? “You just reminded me that I need to call home.” That much is the truth. I realize I haven’t spoken to my father since I accepted this job. Deep down, I know why. He knows me too well. My voice will give it all away if I talk to him. He would be angry with me for what I have planned, but he won’t be angry when I am finished and we have something of our lives back.
The look Cameron gives me tells me he doesn’t buy it, but he moves on. “What do you and Holly have planned today?”
“I was thinking about introducing her to finger painting.” I’m glad for the change of topic. “That may be too lowbrow for her, though. Have you seen her crayon drawings?”
“Not recently,” he tells me.
“Most children her age are cat scratching the colors across the page, no rhyme or reason. She doesn’t like to use coloring books. Instead, she prefers a blank sheet.” I stand up and lean against the railing, facing him. “I’ve worked with gifted children before, but she is the most advanced I have ever seen. She already seems to understand the concept of dimensions when she draws. Honestly, I’m curious to see what she will do with paint.”
Cameron smiles lightly, reflecting. “I had forgo
tten you used to paint. Do you still?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I do, but it’s never amounted to anything. I didn’t have the luxury of studying art. I had to have a career once I finished college. Not that teaching is much of one to some, but it’s steady.” I’m not sure what he would think if he saw what I did with the bonus room in the guesthouse. I have a tarp down and easels set up with fresh canvases. Thank goodness, the floors are tile. Suddenly, I am feeling a rush of creativity.
He checks his watch. “I’d better go. I have an early meeting.”
I feel a return of my earlier resentment. “One day you will have to tell me how you made your billions.” I try to keep the derision out of my voice, but it is a fail.
He looks like he wants to say something else, but Margaret opens the door. “Mr. Fletcher, your car is ready.”
“Thank you, Margaret.” He smiles at me a little uncertainly. “It was good talking to you this morning. We should do it more often.”
With that, he leaves. Margaret’s eyes follow him for a moment. “How are you today, Rebecca?”
She is still very cold to me. I wish I could say I blame her. If she only knew what I have up my sleeve.
“I was going to make an omelet. You up for one?” I ask, trying to ingratiate myself.
She hesitates. “That would be nice.”
I decide to go all out. Since my arrival, I have stocked up on essentials, comfort food. The chef’s meals are great. It’s nice, but I like to cook. It’s more personal. Breakfast is my favorite to prepare.
Margaret pours herself a cup of coffee and takes a seat as I chop up the vegetables. “You don’t like the chef’s breakfasts?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m used to cooking. It feels weird to have everything ready to go and not having to do anything. It’s just foreign to me. Besides, I love to cook.”
“I’ll take breakfast off the menu if you like?”
I glance at her. “Maybe lunch, too? You might want to keep the weekends for Cameron.”
“Mr. Fletcher is very particular about his diet. He is extremely health-minded.”
She’s obviously never had chocolate buttered biscuits or seen him have an entire plate of bacon.
“Then keep the full menu on the weekends. I’d rather cook for Holly and me,” I tell her. “It will be good for her, too. Give her a sense of normalcy.”
Margaret raises an eyebrow. “Normalcy?”
I cast my arms wide. “What part of this is normal? She needs to experience a taste of real life. My favorite times with my mother were spent in the kitchen. Cooking isn’t about being a woman and the stereotypes. It’s about developing a flavor palette and learning life skills.” I realize as I say the words, that it sounds like I am planning to be here a while. That’s not the case. Though I believe in the principle of what I just said, it doesn’t apply here.
Margaret gives me a skeptical look. “I doubt Holly will ever have to do such menial things.”
“But they aren’t menial. Only arrogant, stupid people believe that.” Why am I getting so excited? “If it makes her a better person, it’s worth it.”
With that last statement, I feel a wash of guilt. I’m not so sure if I am a good person right now, and here I am lecturing on Holly’s ethical development.
I slide the first omelet onto a plate and hand it to Margaret with a side of fresh tomatoes. She takes a bite, her eyes widening in surprise. “Wow!” she exclaims as she dabs her mouth with a napkin. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that good.”
I give her a sideways grin. “You ain’t seen nothing yet!’
“That’s what scares me.”
I sense an underlying seriousness to her witty reply.
“What about Holly’s mother?” I ask as I pour the eggs in the skillet for the second omelet. “Where is she?”
Margaret pauses. “She never wanted Holly. She and Mr. Fletcher had only been dating a few months when she got pregnant.”
“That doesn’t explain her complete absence,” I say as I flip the omelet.
Margaret takes another bite. “She said it was an accident.”
“You didn’t believe her?” I ask as I slide my omelet onto a plate and garnish it with tomatoes.
She gives me a derisive look. “She was a gold-digger. That was obvious from the start. She had a new trick, though. She made a big deal out of not wanting to keep the pregnancy.” She takes a sip of her coffee, a far off look on her face. “I think she sensed he was the kind to do the right thing, regardless. I am convinced she was counting on it.”
I know I look perplexed. “I’m not following?”
Margaret shakes her head. “Most women try and get pregnant to marry into wealth. That was never her plan. She didn’t want to have a baby, she said. She threatened to abort.” She throws up her hands in exasperation. “Why even tell him, then?”
It begins to dawn on me.
“She basically held the baby hostage. Cameron finally got her to agree to carry Holly to full-term, with a lot of money.” Margaret pushes her plate aside, finished. “She got the money without responsibility. Well done.”
Suddenly, my appetite is gone. “She just left?”
Margaret brushes the meager remains form her plate into the trash. “She took the money and ran, not to take away from the Steve Miller Band. But, yeah.”
Note to self: Margaret likes music. I do, too. I’ll have to check out Ticketmaster. I push that aside. “She never sees her?”
“No. She signed away all of her rights. She was gone a week later. I don’t think Cameron has heard from her since. At least as far as I know.”
It’s interesting watching the shift from “Mr. Fletcher” to “Cameron”. The closer she gets to her true feelings, she uses his first name. She cares like a mother. I wish my mother had been that protective and loving. I found out she wasn’t the hard way. I trusted her and she let me down.
“He’s lucky to have you.”
I glance away, suddenly feeling guilty. I have to remind myself what his family did to mine.
I feel Margaret’s questioning eyes upon me. I need to learn to have a better game face.
At that minute, Holly and Barkley make a grand and noisy entrance. Barkley slides to a stop just in front of me as Holly runs and jumps into my arms.
“What’s up?” I ask laughingly, hugging her tightly to me.
She leans back with a giggle. “We wanted to surprise you!”
“You certainly did!”
I grin at Barkley. “You are definitely living up to your name.” He seems quite happy about that and nips at my ankles. I know what that means. One, he wants to go out. Two, he wants to play.
I glance at Margaret to find her taking in the exchange. A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, trying to break through. One day I will get that smile.
I have to remind myself that I won’t be here long enough to get that smile…or earn it. If anything, I deserve every bit of censure she gives me.
I follow Holly and Barkley outside. He is a wild man, running from one end of the yard to the other at warp speed until he has finally worked out all of his excess energy. At the end of his workout, he makes a final run and takes a giant leap into the pool. I happen to be standing right next to the pool. Next time, I must pay more attention and stay away from the pool when Barkley is in the zone.
I take a seat in one of the lounge chairs and watch the two of them play. Holly’s face is alight with sheer joy as the two of them run around and play tug-o-war with a rope. I feel like an invader in her safe space. Here she is, trusting in the safety of her home and loved ones. How can I carry through with my plan? She didn’t do anything. I didn’t either, I remind myself. Still, the sight of her and Barkley fill me with a feeling of wonder and laughter that I cannot deny. It’s the first time I have felt privy to being a part of a real family in a long time. A family where the love and trust have not yet been broken.
I lea
n back against the chair, closing my eyes and soaking up the early morning sun. I couldn’t be like this for more than a minute when cold droplets against my skin startle me fully awake. I look for the offending source.
There he is, right beside me. Holly is laying in another lounge chair, pretending to be sunbathing and oblivious to what is going on around her, though I can clearly see the mischievous grin spreading on her face. Barkley shakes again, drying himself off from the pool. Beside him, I see one member of my favorite shoes, or what is left of it. I glance over to the guesthouse. The front door is wide open. I could have sworn I shut it before I left.
“Thanks, Barkley.”
He wags his tail cheerfully as if to say happy to oblige.
CHAPTER 9
Cameron
It’s a little after six, and I’ve just arrived home. I hear voices out by the pool. The sound makes me smile. The last two weeks have flown by. Each day, Rebecca becomes more and more a part of our family. I can see a difference in Holly too. She seems so much more relaxed and outgoing. Rebecca has been taking her and Barkley to the park during the days. I think it’s been a good thing for Holly to be around other children. I know it’s been good for Barkley too. One of the parks they visit is a dog park where he gets to play with other dogs off a leash. Those evenings are peaceful, as he is spent from all of his adventures that day.
From the looks of the back yard, today is not one of those days. Each day brings a new guess as to what he will find to destroy. We have been trying to figure out how he has been getting through supposedly locked doors and drawers. Today is no different.
At my feet lies a lacy black bra. A bit further lies the matching panties. I have to give Barkley credit. He has a talent from picking out matching ensembles. Unless, of course, Rebecca has been having sexual excursions in the back yard. Somehow, I think Margaret would have informed me of that. At least, I hope so…
I take the bra and balance it on the tip of my finger. This is gonna be fun.
Rebecca is lying on one of the lounge chairs, watching Holly. The look on her face makes my heart happy. She seems to truly care about her. Barkley is in the pool with Holly, splashing around and chasing the ball into the deep end when she tosses it. If I let myself believe in it, I could see us as a family. Dare I dream? Still, Rebecca seems distant at times. It’s almost as though she catches herself being happy and runs away from it. I know she has feelings, though. That much is obvious. I just have to figure out how to break down her walls, get her to let me in.
Working For My Arch Enemy: Enemies To Lovers Romance Page 4