Abide: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series, Book 7)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “But do you like him? You know, not because he’s your boss or anything?”

  Oh, goodness. How to answer that question? Caty remembered being Lauren’s age, but she’d never been Lauren’s age without a mother. “Yes, I like him. Your dad is extremely smart, kind, and he’s very good to his employees.”

  “But do you like him, like him? Do you want to kiss him and stuff?” She frowned. “Lots of women like Dad, but he doesn’t seem interested.”

  What was with all the talk of kissing? First Marta, now Lauren. She’d ignore the and stuff part. Caty looked her in the eye. “Lauren, were you here in my office when I was on the phone with my friend?”

  Lauren’s lowered gaze answered her question. “Sorry.”

  “That was a private conversation.” Caty tried not to come down too hard on the girl. This wasn’t her child and was, in fact, her boss’s child. “I hope you don’t make it a habit to listen to what others say without their knowledge.”

  “I came to meet you, but you were busy and didn’t see me. Then you got the phone call and said you were closing your door. That’s when I hid behind the sofa—on the end—so you wouldn’t see me. I swear I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, Caty. I hope you believe me.” A tear slipped down Lauren’s cheek, and she swiped it away. She hadn’t expected tears, but Lauren appeared sincerely apologetic.

  “Tell you a secret. I did the same thing a couple of times when I was a kid. Doesn’t make it right, but I know it can happen.”

  “You did?”

  “Sure did. I remember hiding behind our living room sofa once while my parents made plans for a surprise party for me. I’ll tell you one thing. It totally ruined the surprise.” Not that it was quite the same thing, but it was the first example that came to Caty’s mind.

  A cell phone rang, but its ringtone was unfamiliar. “That’s my dad,” Lauren said. “He’s probably freaking out. I’d better answer it.” Lauren tugged a cell phone from beneath the cuff on her sweatshirt. “Hey, Dad.” As soon as Caleb began to speak, Lauren held the phone away from her ear. From where she sat, Caty could hear the agitation in Caleb’s voice.

  “Calm down, okay?” Lauren said when he stopped. “I’m in the office. You can call off the wolves now. I’m safe.”

  Call off the wolves? Caty lifted a brow. Why would Caleb be so upset? And why would Lauren feel the need to tell him she was safe? Being protective was one thing, but he sounded more than irritated. Not angry, exactly. Frightened almost, but that made no sense. Not coming from Caleb Reid. What could be running through the man’s mind?

  Not that it’s any of your business.

  “I’m in Caty’s office.” Lauren lifted her gaze to Caty’s. “We’re talking about kissing.”

  Caty wanted to laugh and groan at the same time. So, Lauren liked to repeat things. She feared that might not bode well for either of them.

  “Okay. Bye.” Lauren disconnected the call and shrugged. “He worries about me too much.”

  “That’s a father’s responsibility and what parents do.”

  “Do you have any kids?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want kids someday?”

  “I come from a family of six children. If I get married, I’d love to have at least one or two. Perhaps you should head back to your dad’s office, Lauren. He sounded worried.”

  “I’m suspended from school.” Lauren didn’t appear especially remorseful or apologetic. Neither was she in a hurry to leave, apparently. With her arms still wrapped around her legs, the girl rocked back and forth.

  “For how many days?”

  “Until Monday. Dad didn’t know what to do with me since Lettie’s in Dallas visiting her sister for the weekend. That’s why I’m here in the office today.”

  “Lettie?”

  “My housekeeper. Well, she’s a lot more than that. She’s been with us since before I was born. My mom died, so Dad depends on Lettie. She’s kind of like my third grandmother. She cooks and does laundry, those kinds of things.”

  “I’m very sorry about your mom, Lauren.”

  “Thanks.” Lauren shrugged. “It’s been five years.”

  “I’m sure you must miss her.”

  “Sometimes.” The girl nodded. “I smoked at school yesterday, and my dad had to come and get me.” Her face crumpled. “At least he came.”

  Caty resisted the urge to hug her. Had she smoked to get Caleb’s attention?

  Lauren glanced up at her again. “Caty, what’s a Pollyanna?”

  “Where, um, did you hear that name?” Caty shifted her position.

  “Dad called you that.”

  He did, huh? Caty drew in a quick breath. “Well, from what I know, a Pollyanna is someone who tries to see the best in people. There’s an old Disney movie by that name.” She’d probably been called worse things behind her back, so she’d look at the nickname as a positive one.

  “He acted kind of stupid when he got the pie you brought for him. That’s what guys do, right? They act all weird and say dumb things when they like a girl. He said he couldn’t remember the last time someone other than Lettie made something homemade for him.”

  “I’m glad he liked the pie, but I can’t imagine your father acting weird or saying—”

  “Lauren, there you are!” Caleb flew around the corner of her office. Crouching in front of his daughter, he took firm hold of her arms. “Sweetheart, you have to let me know when you leave the office. I didn’t have any idea where you were, and neither did Cordelia.”

  Was he panting? Even if he’d sprinted the short distance from his office to hers, a guy in top physical shape like Caleb shouldn’t be winded. He seemed to be overreacting, but what did Caty know of his life? A sudden thought struck her. Could Lauren be ill with some kind of disease? She prayed that wasn’t the case, but it might explain his extreme reaction.

  Lauren raised her cell phone in the air. “That’s why you gave me this, remember?”

  “Yes, but you didn’t use it to tell me you’d left my office.” His voice was firm. Dressed in jeans, boots, and a light blue oxford shirt, Caleb looked masculine and appealing, as always.

  Her office suddenly felt very warm. No, more like she was a little overheated. Caty resisted tugging on the collar of her blouse.

  “On your feet,” Caleb ordered his daughter. “I’m still in my meeting, and you’re coming back to the office with me.”

  As Lauren scrambled to her feet, Caleb glanced at Caty as though seeing her for the first time. “I’m sorry for the interruption, Miss Lewis. I hope my daughter didn’t interrupt your work for too long.”

  “Not at all. She livened up my morning.” Caty smiled at Lauren. “It was very nice to meet you, Lauren. If you’re in the office again, feel free to come and see me anytime you’d like.”

  “Thanks. I think my dad would really like it if you kissed him sometime. He’s been kind of lonely and grumpy lately.”

  “That’s enough, Lauren.” An adorable flush invaded Caleb’s cheeks.

  Caty avoided his gaze. Getting up from the floor in her skirt would be a challenge, and she didn’t look forward to doing it with an audience. “Don’t let me keep you.” Still seated on the floor, she made a sweeping motion with one hand. “You should get back to your meeting now.”

  “You can stop shooing me.” Caleb’s lips twitched. “They can wait another minute or two.” He was beside her in seconds. Positioning one hand beneath her elbow, he assisted Caty to her feet. The man was nothing if not a gentleman.

  “Thank you kindly. The designers of pencil skirts weren’t thinking of sitting on the floor, that’s for sure.” Trying not to laugh at the silliness of it all, Caty smoothed a hand over her skirt, now irreparably wrinkled. No matter since no one would ever accuse her of being a fashionista. Accountants were usually rumpled as a general rule.

  She pulled back slightly when Caleb leaned close enough to catch a whiff of his intoxicating cologne. What was the name of that scent—Illegal? Irresistible
? Combined with his appreciative glance—not inappropriate but certainly not businesslike—Caty nearly swayed.

  I’m in such trouble here. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.

  “Can we discuss this later, Caty?”

  “If you’d like, but I’m not sure we have anything to discuss.” She should have known better than to look directly into those warm brown eyes. The man made her positively dizzy.

  The corners of his mouth lifted in a charming grin. “I think we do.”

  “I have Lauren with me, sir.” Cordelia stood in the doorway. “We’ll be in my office.”

  Caty flinched. How long had they been watching this little exchange?

  “I’ll be there in a couple of minutes,” Caleb called over his shoulder, never moving his gaze from Caty’s.

  Taking a quick breath, she lowered her voice. “Caleb, I didn’t invite Lauren into my office.” Matter of fact, his daughter had been eavesdropping on her private conversation, but she’d keep that tidbit to herself. It would seem the father-daughter duo had deeper issues. She could have done without Lauren’s kissing remark, but other than that, no real harm had been done.

  Crossing his arms, Caleb tilted his head with an arched brow. “You seem to have a disconcerting habit of telling me what you believe I’m thinking.”

  “Oh.” Caty lowered her gaze. “Sorry.”

  “I wasn’t thinking you invited Lauren into your office, but I am wondering how she got here in the first place.”

  She lifted her chin. “Lauren’s smart and inquisitive. From what I can tell, she’s a perfectly normal twelve-year-old girl. I’m sure your daughter was bored and only wanted to do a little exploring. She mentioned the pie I’d made and said she wanted to meet me. You can’t blame her for any of that, can you?”

  “No, I suppose not. In other words, lighten up?” Caleb lowered his arms to his sides.

  “Well…yes, in so many words.”

  “Are you saying I’m boring?”

  “I’m not saying that at all. My dad is one of the most fascinating people I know, but he was a banker. I was bored to tears whenever I visited his office yet look at me now. I work with numbers all day. Imagine that.”

  “Sounds like you had an interesting discussion with my daughter.”

  “You could say that. Caleb, did you call me a Pollyanna?”

  He chuckled. “Only in the best possible sense. I happen to believe the world needs more Pollyannas. Thank you for the pie, Caty. Hands down, it was the best peach pie I’ve ever tasted. I should get back to my clients now, but are you free to join Lauren and me for lunch?”

  “Well, I—”

  “I’ll swing by here at noon to get you.”

  She fought the urge to grin. “I didn’t say yes.”

  “You didn’t say no.”

  Her smile emerged. “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  He stepped closer, bringing all that intoxication with him. “Please say you’ll come.”

  “When you put it that way…yes. I’ll come to lunch. With you and Lauren.” That cleft in his chin fascinated her. His smile mesmerized her. That masculine cologne did untold things to her senses.

  “I’ll see you then.” He headed for the door.

  “Caleb?”

  He turned back to face her. “Yes?”

  “Wouldn’t it be a better idea if we meet downstairs in the building lobby?”

  The muscles in his jaws flexed. “Right. Perhaps that’s best.”

  “And maybe one o’clock when the noon-hour lunch crowd might have thinned out? I mean, you should probably ease back into the world gradually after being so reclusive.” Caty hoped he wouldn’t take offense. Had she really just said ease back into the world?

  “I’m glad you’re thinking for both of us.” Hesitating, Caleb ran one hand over his brow. “I’m sorry for snapping at you in the parking lot of the restaurant last week, Caty. That was…rude and obnoxious. I trust you’ll accept my apology.”

  “Of course. No need to worry,” she said. “I wasn’t exactly a Pollyanna that night. We both said things we didn’t mean, but you don’t need to take me to lunch to apologize.”

  His eyes softened. “That’s not what I was thinking, and that’s not why I asked.”

  “Then I’ll see you at one o’clock.”

  Caleb nodded. “Looking forward to it.”

  As he departed, Caty couldn’t help but think how much she didn’t understand about this man.

  You are one fascinating man, Abernathy.

  Now that she’d met his daughter, she had even more questions.

  ~~♥~~

  Caleb stopped by his assistant’s desk as he strolled back into the offices. “Cordelia, can you find a place nearby for lunch within a three or four block walk from the building?”

  “Certainly. What time and for how many people?”

  “Make it one o’clock. My meeting will be done by then. There’ll be three of us—Lauren, Miss Lewis, and myself. ”

  “I guess you found a way to thank her.” Spoken half under her breath, Cordelia had to know he’d heard.

  He quirked a brow. “Your point?”

  The smile Cordelia gave him was as wide as any he’d seen in recent memory. “I’m absolutely delighted, sir. I’ll be happy to make the lunch reservations.”

  “I can stay here with Delia if you want to go with Caty, just the two of you,” Lauren suggested. “A man has needs, right?”

  Caleb did a double take so fast his neck popped. “What did you just say?” At her desk, Cordelia pretended to be inordinately occupied with something although she couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

  Lauren giggled. “Something I heard recently.”

  “You listen too well,” he grumbled as he massaged the back of his neck. What was he going to do with her? He could only imagine what she might have told Caty. Hopefully, an intervention wouldn’t be necessary to deprogram whatever ideas his prepubescent daughter might have planted in Caty’s mind.

  Not to mention she’d planted the idea of kissing Caty in his brain. You’ve already thought about kissing her. No, he couldn’t blame that one on Lauren.

  Lauren obviously liked Caty. That was encouraging. Caty had been gracious to her, but if his suspicions were correct, there was more to that story. Why had they been discussing kissing? He had no doubt Lauren initiated that conversation. On the other hand, having Lauren along for lunch would be a safeguard against him saying, or doing, anything which might not be in anyone’s best interest. Something flirty or romantic like the dinner last week with Caty. That’d been fun and as close to a date as he’d had in a long time. Better than any date he’d had in recent years.

  Apparently, he’d gone delusional. Why was he even thinking about these things? Because of their previous flirting and Caty’s proven pie-making skills? Because Caty was a beautiful woman and his daughter seemed drawn to her the same as he was? He needed to get a better handle on his emotions before they spiraled completely out of control.

  Caleb turned to Lauren and restrained himself from pointing. “I’m giving you the final say on where we go for lunch, but no hot dog vendors, taco stands, burger shacks, pancake houses, or pizza joints. Cordelia can help you.”

  “Aye aye, captain.” Lauren saluted him and then plopped on the chair at Danica’s desk. He could only hope she’d stay put during the remainder of his meeting.

  “Mr. Reid?”

  He focused on Cordelia. “What?” Realizing he’d snapped, he forced calm into his tone. “Did I forget something else?”

  She pointed to his office. “Your meeting? They’re waiting on you.”

  “Right.” This was getting serious. Five minutes in Caty’s presence, and he’d already lost his senses. The woman was dangerous.

  Opening the door to his office, Caleb strode toward the conference table where his clients patiently waited. Ah, Cordelia had shared some of the peach pie with them. Smart woman. He should give her another
raise.

  “My apologies for the delay. Now, where were we?”

  Chapter 21

  As she walked through the Belac lobby, Caty was surprised to see another woman behind the desk—the blonde she’d seen near the elevators the day of her first meeting with Caleb.

  “We haven’t been officially introduced.” She stretched her hand across the desk. “I’m Caty Lewis.”

  “Nice to meet you, Caty. Quinn Howland. I’m Suma’s backup during lunch.” That explained why she hadn’t met this woman since Caty was usually squirreled away in her office during the noon hour.

  “Would you like me to take your calls while you’re out?”

  “That’s not necessary, thank you. I let them go straight to voice mail. Which division are you in?”

  “I’m Martin Hillyard’s new personal assistant.”

  Caty’s radar shot to high alert. “I wasn’t aware Martin had transferred from the Lubbock office.”

  “It’s a recent development. His assistant decided not to make the move, so I’ve been assigned to work with him.” Leaning closer, Quinn lowered her voice. “May I ask you a question?”

  Caty nodded. “Of course.”

  “Martin seems very private and prefers to handle everything himself. Do you know if he operated that way in Lubbock?”

  “I don’t really know. Sorry. You could contact Lesley, his former assistant in Lubbock, and ask her. I’m sure she’d be happy to talk with you.”

  “That’s okay.” Quinn smiled. “I just thought it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

  “Please give Martin my regards. Nice to meet you.”

  “You, too.” An incoming call took the other woman’s attention.

  Lost in thought, Caty departed the office and waited for the elevator in the outer lobby. So, Martin had transferred to Houston. Interesting. A Reidco executive vice president, he’d been one of the men she’d considered a possible suspect in falsifying entries on the Reidco ledgers. As Caleb had suggested, she’d been keeping a close eye on the numbers all week. Nothing else had seemed out of place since their initial meeting. For that, she was extremely grateful. She hoped nothing else would happen although her intuition told her it was inevitable that something would.