by JoAnn Durgin
“You and your rules.” Lauren pouted for all of three seconds before brightening. “Maybe I should have smoked before, huh?”
“Bringing you here isn’t a reward. Taking you to lunch and then somewhere later isn’t a reward, either. Keep that in mind, please. However, in spite of the circumstances, I like having you here with me today.” He smiled at her. “Very much.”
“Me, too.” Slipping her hand in his, Lauren leaned her head against his shoulder. His heart skipped a few beats. When was the last time she’d spontaneously expressed her affection like this?
“Dad, do you think the kidnappers know I’m here?”
What? Caleb slammed his hand on the Stop Elevator button. “Lauren, please promise me you won’t say anything to anyone about the threats.” She looked up at him with those eyes that had captured his heart from the moment she was born.
Deep breathing a few seconds, Caleb fought to rein in his emotions. “The most important thing to know is that this isn’t a game. You need to stay close until I can figure out what to do. Don’t worry. I’ll think of something.” Those statements were more for his own benefit than Lauren’s.
“I know it’s not a game. I just don’t want to be old, like twenty-five or something, and not have a life.”
Caleb swallowed hard. “I have the feeling that won’t happen. I want you to have a life.”
“Like I said before, you need one, too.” After Lauren punched the elevator button, it resumed its ascent.
If only he could push aside his worries as readily as his daughter. On the other hand, he’d thanked God that morning for the optimism of youth and the fact that he hadn’t scarred her for life by telling her about the kidnapping threats. Hopefully, that’s all they’d ever amount to—threats on paper—but he couldn’t take any chances.
“Wow. That was really fast!” she said when they reached the Belac floor and the elevator doors opened into his private offices.
As usual, Cordelia waited for him by the elevator. “Good morning, Mr. Reid.” She smiled at Lauren. “Good morning to you, Miss Reid.” In private, Cordelia addressed him by his first name but always with “Mr.” whenever others were around. Even Lauren. Probably had a lot to do with her military background.
Lauren giggled and released his hand. “Hi, Delia.” She saluted her. “Put me to work.”
His daughter was the only one Cordelia permitted to call her by that nickname. “Lauren, be good,” he cautioned. “Don’t be a nuisance.”
“I’ll take good care of her. Danica’s off today. Lauren, you can sit at her desk.” Cordelia gave him a reassuring nod.
“Oh, you’ve got food!” Lauren’s blue eyes grew wide and she lunged toward the serving cart near his second assistant Danica’s desk. “Can I have a cinnamon roll?” Dangling one hand above the cart, she flashed a mischievous grin.
“You ate breakfast at home. You know what? It’s Friday. Have at it. Why not?” At least she’d asked his permission. In his mind, Caleb imagined Lettie giving him the pushover expression. Admittedly, he was a pushover when it came to Lauren. Making rules was much easier than enforcing them. He was fumbling his way through this single dad gig one challenge at a time.
Caleb turned to Cordelia. “Do you have some filing or an easy task Lauren can do?”
“What do you mean by easy? I’m not dumb.” Lauren assumed a battle stance, feet apart, hands on her hips. Hips that would probably start filling out and looking more like a woman’s any day now. He wasn’t ready. As it was, he’d barely made it through the training bra stage. After Lauren begged for one, he’d implored Lettie to take her shopping. The thought of anything else Lauren might ask him for in terms of womanly stuff made him blush. Female adolescence might very well be the end of him.
“Trust me, I know you’re not dumb,” Caleb said. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I’m sure I can come up with the perfect job for Lauren.” Cordelia checked the clock on the wall. “Your meeting starts at ten. The green folder is on your desk.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” With a nod, Caleb strolled into his office. Shrugging out of his leather jacket and removing his Stetson, he hung them both on the coat tree. Unfastening the top button of his shirt, he slid into the leather chair.
In addition to the usual files, there was something extra on the desk this morning. Looked like a bakery box. Pulling it toward him, he caught a faint whiff of something delicious. Man, it smelled irresistible.
Using his thumbnail, he slit the tape and opened the box. Peach pie? Looked homemade since there was no bakery name. Caleb couldn’t remember the last time someone had baked him an honest-to-goodness homemade anything. Although peach wasn’t his favorite—apple held top honors—any fruit pie ranked high on the list.
He pushed the intercom. “Cordelia, where did this peach pie come from?”
“Caty Lewis brought it for you. She said she made it first thing this morning. I thought you might like a slice with your morning coffee. You’ll find a knife, napkins, forks, and a short stack of paper plates in the top right drawer of your desk. My assistant, Miss Reid, will be bringing your coffee to you shortly.”
“Thanks for taking good care of me. Please send Miss Lewis a thank you email.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
“Scratch that. I’ll send the email to Caty myself.”
“Whatever you’d like.”
His brow furrowed. “Wait a second. I’ll tell Caty in person. Something as special as a homemade pie warrants a personal visit.” He hesitated. “Don’t you think?”
“Whatever you’d like, sir.” Was that amusement in Cordelia’s voice? Small wonder since he was waffling like an insecure teenager with a crush on the prettiest girl in school.
He missed seeing Caty, oddly enough, and it was only her first week in the Houston office. He didn’t want to miss her, but he did. Several times, he’d stopped himself from sending her a quick email, calling her, or dropping by Caty’s office. He’d already sent her two gifts albeit nothing extravagant or too personal. If he started hanging around her office, she might question his motives. She wouldn’t be the only one.
He’d heard from Cordelia how Caty was already endearing herself to the other employees with random acts of kindness. Or a well-placed word or expression of caring. Seemed she had a tradition in Dallas and Lubbock for leaving birthday cupcakes and cards on desks. She’d made it her mission to motivate employees and generate goodwill and a feeling of family. He supposed that made sense from a woman with five siblings.
Some people might consider her Pollyanna Do-Gooder attitude irritating. With Caty, it wasn’t an act. He’d met a lot of people in his lifetime, and she was one of the most genuine. Intelligent, witty, and feisty all rolled into one beautiful woman, an alluring combination.
Okay, enough of this. Caleb buzzed Cordelia one more time. “Would you like a piece of the pie? I’m willing to share.”
“That’s not necessary, sir.”
“Are you sure? It looks and smells delicious. It’s just Lauren and me at the house this weekend. We can’t eat an entire pie by ourselves.”
Was that a sigh from his assistant? “Sir, Caty left a second one in the breakroom. Please stop trying to give away your pie and enjoy it.”
He grinned. “Yes, sir. I mean, ma’am.” Through the intercom, he heard Lauren giggle. He’d make a fool of himself every day if it made his daughter laugh.
Opening the desk drawer, Caleb withdrew a paper plate and cut himself a medium-size piece of the still-warm pie. He savored the first bite—warm, fresh, and mouth-wateringly delectable. His second bite tasted even better. She must have used fresh peaches, not the canned kind. Seriously one of the best pies he’d ever tasted.
A quiet knock sounded on his door. “Come in!” he said around another mouthful.
Lauren walked inside his office with a steaming mug of coffee. “Ow ow ow. This is burning my fingers.”
Caleb rushed to her side. “Here. Let me get tha
t. You’re a great assistant.” He rescued the mug.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Reid. Will there be anything else?” Oh, she was cute.
“Yes, as a matter of fact. You can sit with me and eat a piece of this fantastic pie. Come join me at the conference table.” He carried the box over to the table along with his pie, a second paper plate, and a fork.
Lauren eyed him warily. “Are you feeling okay? You never eat something this sweet for breakfast.” The massive leather chair swallowed her small frame as she dropped onto it.
“Yes, but this is a special occasion.” After cutting a small piece of the pie and sliding it onto a paper plate, Caleb handed her the fork. He’d try to forget she’d already consumed a cinnamon roll, and she’d be on a sugar high all afternoon. Fun times.
“What’s the special occasion?” Lauren took a bite and gave him a thumbs-up.
He sat down beside her and nudged her shoulder. “Bring your daughter to work day.”
~~♥~~
Caty fully intended to ignore her ringing cell phone on her desk until she noted it was Marta. With a smile, she clicked it on. “This is Caty. Not looking for a man today.”
“Very funny. Any sign of the boss yet?”
“Nope.” Caty rose to her feet and crossed the room. “Hang on while I close my office door.”
“Good thinking,” Marta said. “I guess it wouldn’t be good to be caught gossiping about the boss.”
“No, it would not.” After closing the door, Caty kicked off her shoes and then curled into the corner of the loveseat. “I’ll take five minutes, but then I need to get back to work. You’ve done a great job on the late night newscasts. Did you find out what’s up with Brandy?”
“She’s pregnant. The question is whether or not she’ll be back. She’s having a rough time of it, and I heard a rumor she might sit out this entire pregnancy, if not longer.”
“That’s unfortunate, I guess,” Caty said. “Of course, I’m sorry she’s sick but happy she’s pregnant.” She rolled her eyes. “That made no sense, did it?”
“You sound like you did at the restaurant the other night. Are you flummoxed again?”
“I guess you could say that. It’s true there are different ways to look at any situation. So, did the station offer you the interim job?”
“Yes, you’re talking to the full-time weeknight meteorologist. One of the producers confided it might work out for the best since I’m trained as a meteorologist and, well, Brandy’s not. She was hired first, so she has seniority, though. I’m not sure how I feel about all that, but for now, I’ll do the best job I can. The station management will have to figure out the rest.”
“That’s all you can do,” Caty agreed. “Keep me posted.”
“I will. Now, how’s that handsome cowboy treating you?”
“He’s not. I haven’t seen Caleb since our dinner.”
“Well, that’s a pity. He’s retreated into that secluded cave again?”
“Funny you should say that. His office is kind of like the Bat Cave. It takes up space in the middle of the floor with entrances on both sides. I didn’t get a lot of sleep, so I got up at four a.m. and made peach pies, one for Caleb, and I left another one in the breakroom.”
“Quite the ambitious woman. Kissing up to the boss?”
“No kissing involved, I assure you.” Why had she said anything about the pie?
“You miss him.”
Caty squirmed a bit. “How can I miss a man I barely know?”
“Because Caleb wasn’t the only one infatuated at dinner the other night. Deny it all you want, girlfriend, but subconsciously? Admit it, Caty. You made that pie hoping Caleb would swagger into your office in all his cowboy manliness and thank you in person. I’m telling you, there’s something between the two of you just waiting to be explored.”
“I… I…” Caty wasn’t sure how to answer. “Mom gave me a bag of fresh peaches. I had to do something with them so they wouldn’t go to waste. Marta, the man is a widower and has a twelve-year-old daughter. I’ve barely had relationships let alone with a man who’s been married and has a child of any age.”
“Do we need to go over this again? Where’s that Lewis optimistic spirit? It’s been five years, and the man’s had time to grieve. Not to sound insensitive, but a handsome man like Caleb needs to be married.”
Caty couldn’t stop her grin. “Yes, Caleb is handsome, but how do you figure that?” Maybe she shouldn’t ask.
“If you think about it real hard, I’m sure it’ll come to you.”
“Don’t start with the whole a man has needs discussion.” Caty slapped her forehead and rolled her eyes. “I can’t even believe I’m having this conversation.” Thank goodness she’d closed her door. Still, she’d be humiliated if anyone passing by her office overheard her comment.
“Okay, then, how about the fact a girl that age desperately needs a mother? You remember being twelve, don’t you? The age when you’re on the cusp of becoming a woman,” Marta said with an overly dramatic flair, making Caty smile. “Gawky as anything, braces, liking boys one minute and hating them the next, getting all tongue-tied, starting to think about going to school dances.”
“I remember it all too well, my friend. Listen, I couldn’t be more thrilled that you called, but I need to get back to work so they don’t think I’m a lazy, man-deprived accountant.”
“May it never be!” Marta laughed. “Chop chop then. I’ll talk with you later, Caty. Have fun.”
“You, too. Thanks for the call.”
Jumping up from the loveseat, Caty opened the door and moved back to her chair. She clicked on the computer file she’d been working on before Marta’s phone call. A faint sound made her glance up from her desk. What was that? Sounded like something brushing over the carpet. Or maybe her lack of sleep was finally catching up with her? Concentrating on her report, Caty went back to work. Thank goodness no discrepancies crept up as she downloaded the latest ledgers.
Another few minutes later, she heard another noise.
Please, Lord, don’t let it be a rodent. Anything but that.
She could handle a little mouse, but on the 35th floor of a downtown high-rise? Maybe it came from down the hall. Overall, the office was quiet, but occasionally sounds from next door or the main lobby floated down the hallway. Then she heard it again. No, it definitely came from somewhere in her office.
As quietly as possible, Caty lifted out of the chair, thankful she hadn’t yet put her shoes back on. First, she peeked along the wall behind her desk before tiptoeing across the carpet. She scanned the baseboards around the perimeter of the room. Nothing unusual. Maybe she was hearing things. Heading back to her desk, she heard another sound. Hard to say what it was, but maybe a sniffle?
She eyed the loveseat. That was the only remaining option. Wouldn’t she have noticed if anyone else was in her office? It wasn’t that large, after all. Surely she wasn’t that oblivious.
Dropping to her knees, her pulse racing, Caty peeked beneath the piece of furniture. Because it sat so low to the ground, she couldn’t see much. She’d need to go around to the back. “Please don’t be a mouse, please don’t be a mouse.” Repeating it seemed to ease her unrest.
Feeling silly, Caty crawled around the loveseat on all fours.
“Please don’t be a mouse…ohhh!”
Chapter 20
A young girl stared at Caty through luminous blue eyes. Knees drawn to her chest, her wavy, dark brown hair reached almost to her waist. Dressed in black jeans and an oversized gray sweatshirt, she was a pretty girl. Striking, really, although her long hair threatened to overwhelm her delicate features. She looked to be in her early teens if not younger.
“You’re not going to tell on me, are you?”
“That depends,” Caty said, trying to catch her breath. “Have you recently escaped from jail?”
“No.” The girl’s eyes rounded.
“You didn’t take anything that didn’t belong to you, did you?”
“I don’t steal if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Is there something you need on my office floor? Did you lose something?”
The beginnings of a small smile surfaced. She shook her head.
“Then no, I don’t suppose I’ll tell on you.”
Her features visibly relaxed. “You’re not mad?”
“No, I’m not mad. At the moment, I’m immensely thankful you’re not a rodent.”
The girl giggled, and Caty knew. Lauren. This had to be Caleb’s daughter—the dark hair, the nose, the face shape, everything but the eye color belonged to him.
She offered her hand. “I’m Caty. You must be Lauren.”
“How’d you know?” Lauren gave her hand a brief shake.
“You look like your father.” Oh, no. Dread settled in Caty’s stomach. Had Lauren overheard her conversation with Marta?
“You’re the lady who made the peach pie.” It wasn’t a question.
“That’s right.” She’d said something about a man having needs. If Lauren had overheard that statement, would she know its meaning? At twelve, Caty had been pretty naïve, but kids these days seemed to grow up a lot faster in many respects.
Oh, no. She’d also mentioned Caleb being a widower with a child. She had the feeling that might not have sounded good. How was she supposed to know Lauren would hear it? At least Lauren didn’t seem to dislike her, no matter what she might have said…or not said.
“Your pie is really good. Dad shared some with me. Did you make it?”
“I did. Peach pie is a favorite in our family. My grandmother passed down her recipe, and it’s kind of a given we’ll all learn how to make it.” Not that Lauren needed to know all that.
“So, you’ve met my dad?”
Caty nodded. “Yes, I met with him in his office last week.”
“But you had dinner with him, too, right? Was it a date?”
“No, it wasn’t a date. Turns out your dad and I have mutual friends. He didn’t know I’d be at the dinner, and I didn’t know he’d be there.” Based on her question, Lauren must have overheard her conversation. What a great start to the day. Tired of being on her knees, Caty settled on the floor facing Lauren and stretched out her legs. Sitting cross-legged didn’t work well wearing a pencil skirt.