Heather rushed over to her and knelt down in front of her, “I’m going to take you to your daddy right now. It’s just a short car ride, I promise.”
“I don’t want to get into a car, I want him now.” Chloe screamed at Heather and pushed her away.
Heather landed on her butt on the floor, both shocked and angry. Getting to her feet, she said, “Well, he’s not here. We’ll have to get in the car to get to him.”
The flight attendant began backing away, “Looks like you have this under control.” She said, then turned and practically ran back to the gate.
Heather watched her walk away, Chloe standing next to her crying. Heather looked down at her and took a deep breath, she was just a child and probably scared. “Let’s go find your daddy.” She said, taking Chloe’s hand.
When she finally managed to get a still sobbing Chloe into the car, relieved that she had Tyler’s booster seat in the trunk, her temptation was to call Seth and bawl him out, but that wouldn’t help the situation so she tried to talk to the child.
“How old are you Chloe?”
“I’m six.” The little girl said, then added, “I want a candy bar.”
Much to Heather’s relief she’d stopped crying, only an occasional hiccup racking her little body. “I’m sorry I don’t have any candy, but there might be some snacks in here.” She said, opening the center console where she always kept a few snacks for Tyler. “I’ve got granola bars and fruit snacks.”
“I don’t want that, I want a candy bar.” Chloe said, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.
“I understand, but I don’t have any candy.” Heather was trying to be patient but the shock of finding out her passenger was a small child coupled with her behavior had thrown her off guard.
“Then I want ice cream.” Chloe said, kicking her feet against the seat.
By the time they reached the address where she was supposed to meet Marshall, Heather had reached her limit. Chloe had kept up a constant stream of demands, asking for everything from a new toy to a pony, then pouting and yelling when she was told no. When she finally pulled up in front of the old decrepit building she was at the end of her patience and more than ready to dump the little girl off.
It wasn’t until they got out of the car that she realized that the building was in a terrible neighborhood, all the store fronts around them were boarded up and there were some scary looking people hanging around out front. She quickly got Chloe out of the car and rushed her through the boarded-up doors, not sure that she was in the right place, but not wanting to hang around outside.
When they walked in it was so dark inside that they could barley see, but even in the dark Heather could see that the old building still had a lot to offer. For the first time since she’d picked her up, Chloe acted like the child she was and took Heather’s hand, clearly scared. They wandered down the long hallway toward the entrance to the theatre, Heather calling out for Marshall as they went.
But it wasn’t Marshall that they found, it was Simone. “What are you doing in here?” She asked, making them both scream. “No one is supposed to be in here.”
Heather was actually relieved to see Simone, “We’re looking for Marshall.” She said, her voice shaky from the scare she’d received.
“Well, he’s busy. Come back another time.” Simone said, shooting Heather a dirty look.
“This…” Heather started to explain, but just then Marshall came through the theatre doors and stood at the top of the stairs.
The minute she saw him, Chloe let go of Heather’s hand and started to run up the stairs. Simone stepped in front of her, “Go away. What are you doing?”
“I want my daddy.” Chloe said, bursting into tears and trying to push past Simone.
Simone blocked her again, “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull but that’s not your daddy.” She snarled at Heather.
Marshall had made it down the stairs by this time, he gently pushed Simone aside and picked Chloe up. “Hi, sweetheart.” He said, then turned to Simone, clearly annoyed that she’d treated Chloe so badly. “This is my daughter Chloe.”
Simone stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Then managed to squeak, “Your daughter?” A look Heather didn’t like at all appeared on Simone’s face, but she wiped it away quickly.
“I’m sorry I should have told you.” Marshall said, setting Chloe back on her feet.
“Is this her mother?” Simone asked with a sneer and gave Heather a look that would have intimidated any woman.
“No, that’s my assistant.” Marshall said, his voice like that of a little boy who’s gotten in trouble.
The last place Heather wanted to be was in the middle of Marshall’s love life, and she needed to set him straight about who she was and why she was there. “Look about that, we need to talk.” She said, stepping closer to Marshall.
Marshall looked at Simone then at Heather, “Can you give us a few minutes, please?”
“You want me to go away?” Simone simpered, batting her eyelashes at Marshall.
“I just need a few minutes to talk to her.” He said, then it seemed to register that Simone was there, “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I just wanted to surprise you, to see how things with the theatre were going.” Simone said, a little hesitation in her voice.
“I don’t remember telling you that I’d be here.” Marshall said, confusion in his voice.
“Well, you must have.” Simone said quickly, then added, “I’ll just step away for a minute.”
Chapter 5
Heather waited until she was out of earshot then said, “Mr. Montgomery I’m afraid we’ve gotten our wires crossed. I’m not….”
Her words were cut off when he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from Chloe, who immediately began to cry. “Don’t leave me daddy.” She sobbed, breaking Heather’s heart.
“Don’t worry baby, we’re just going over here.” Marshall reassured her, stopping about ten feet away and positioning himself so he could see Chloe over Heather’s shoulder. “I’ll be right here I promise.”
Chloe calmed down when she saw that her father wasn’t going any farther, but they could still hear her little hiccups. Heather took a deep breath planning to finally tell Marshall that she wasn’t his assistant or his baby sitter, but then she caught Simone out of the corner of her eye, she was sneaking along the edge of the hallway in the shadows. Curious about what she was doing, she shut her mouth before she said anything, giving Marshall the opportunity to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to pick her up, but I didn’t know what else to do. I have too much going on right now to deal with her.” Marshall wined.
Heather was shocked at his words, this was his daughter after all, but before she could speak he went on, “You have no idea how hard it is to be a single parent.” He said, then began complaining about how hard it was to take care of Chloe.
There were so many things Heather wanted to say to him about being a single parent, but Simone caught her attention again, she’d slunk behind a pillar so that all Heather could see was her back. At first, she thought that Simone was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation but then she realized that she was too far away to hear anything.
As Marshall went on and on, a shaft of sunlight broke through the gloom and illuminated the area where Simone was standing. Heather caught a glint of light coming off something metal, then she was able to make out the figure of a man standing there with Simone, their heads were bent together and the sun was glinting off his watch where he had his arm wrapped around her.
Heather sucked in a deep breath shocked, then immediately turned away, not wanting to get caught watching them. She stepped back a few paces to put some more distance between them, then unable to see the couple any longer she turned her attention back to Marshall, who was completely unaware of what was happening behind his back. She wondered who the man was, but knew deep down that Simone knew him, that the two of them were up to something, something that w
as going to hurt Marshall in the end.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m hoping you’ll do it.” Marshall was saying and she realized that she’d missed the entire conversation.
“I’m sorry what did you say?” She asked, finally looking up at his blue eyes, then wishing she hadn’t when a little tremor of desire washed over her.
“I asked if you would watch Chloe for me for a few days. I could call the agency but you’re already here.” Marshall said, flashing her a big smile.
Her body responded to that smile in ways she didn’t like, making her angry. “You want me to babysit for you?”
“That’s what I asked.” Marshall repeated, practically hoping from foot to foot like a little boy who wanted to go out and play. “I have so much to do before I buy this theatre, I need to meet with contractors and craftsmen, and the owner is waiting for me upstairs to finalize the deal.”
Heather knew that this would be the time to tell him who she really was, but after what she’d seen in the shadows, she decided that it might not be a bad idea to continue the pretense. If Simone found out that Marshall’s brother had sent her she’d be on her guard around her, but if she thought she was just the babysitter it might be easier to figure out what was going on.
She dreaded having to spend the day with Chloe who had already proven to be a difficult child, but Seth had sent her to protect his brother and this seemed to be the best way. “What did you have in mind?” She asked.
“If you could just watch her during the day it would make all the difference in the world. I have a big house just outside of town and I’ll pay you well.” Marshall offered, sure that he’d get his way.
Half an hour and a bucket of tears later Marshall still hadn’t convinced Chloe that she should go with Heather, but then a man came stomping down the stairs distracting them all. “Mr. Montgomery, I’ve been waiting for you for over a half an hour. Are we going to make this deal or not?”
Heather was surprised to see the man who had been hiding in the shadows with Simone, but managed to keep her face neutral. “I’m sorry Hank, I’ll be right with you.” Marshall said, then turned to Heather, “Can’t you please convince her to go with you? Offer her some ice cream, that always works.”
Heather was not the kind of parent who used bribery, but when Simone came sidling up to Marshall she knew that it was time to go. “Chloe honey, let’s go get some ice cream and then we’ll go to your house and I’ll play with you.” Heather cajoled.
Chloe looked exhausted, but perked up at the mention of ice cream. “Okay, I guess that would be all right.”
Simone watched the woman and Marshall’s daughter walk away wanting to scream. Nowhere in all the research she’d done had she seen any mention of the kid, now Marshall would be distracted and it was going to take even longer. Worse he might expect her to spend time with the little monster. But at least he’d gotten that cow of a woman to take the brat off their hands for a few days, it might just give Marco enough time to seal the deal. Still it might not be a bad idea to start planting a few suggestions in Marshall’s mind, especially if the kid was going to be staying a long time, a trip to summer camp might just be what the kid always wanted.
More than anything she wanted to scream at Marshall for hiding his daughter from her, but she knew that he’d be shocked if she did, instead she’d have to play the good girl and be forgiving, something she’d never been very good at. But when she saw Marshall with Marco, it reminded her what was at stake, enough money to move to South America and live like royalty. They were so close, just a few more days and Marshall would sign on the dotted line, transfer the money and they’d be on a plane out of here before the ink dried.
She couldn’t help but smile at the amount of money they’d already managed to get out of him, down payments to contractors and craftsmen most of whom had never touched a tool in their lives. It hadn’t been hard to find a few men who were willing to help them out for half the take — it had been enough money to allow Marco to live in style while they’d been here with some leftover. Simone planned to use it to buy herself a new wardrobe when they got to South America.
Slipping back into her role, she slid up next to Marshall and took his hand, then looked up at him. “Is everything okay? Is there something I can do to help?” She asked in the sweetest voice she could muster.
Marshall looked down at her, “I really am sorry I didn’t tell you about Chloe.” He said, his heart practically bursting at how caring Simone was.
“It’s okay, really.” She said, then added. “I don’t mind that much, I mean I like kids and everything.”
Marco who had quietly moved away when she first came up had clearly been listening because he choked back a laugh, but Marshall was so engrossed in Simone he didn’t even notice. “I’m so glad.” He said, pulling her into a hug.
Simone shot Marcos a dirty look over Marshall’s shoulder, then gently pulled away from Marshall — she could only handle so much direct contact. As handsome as Marshall was, she wasn’t the least bit attracted to him, she liked her men to be manlier than Marshall was. Just like Marco, who was only a few inches taller than her, but carried himself in a way that said pure man to anyone who saw him, men and women alike seemed to understand that Marco wasn’t a man to be messed with.
Suppressing a sigh, she turned her attention back to Marshall, as difficult as it was she needed him to believe that she was completely in love with him. “I remember when I was Chloe’s age, all I wanted was a trip to summer camp. Isn’t it funny that I remember that after all these years?” She said, innocently.
By the end of the first day taking care of Chloe, Heather was exhausted. The little girl while only six, had some definite ideas about what she wanted and when, and it was painfully obvious to Heather that she usually ran the show. Unaccustomed to a child who was used to getting her way, she’d had to learn quickly how to keep Chloe from having a melt down every time she heard the word no. She never thought she’d be happy to see Marshall, but when he walked in the door the first night she was so relieved that she jumped up from the table and offered him some dinner.
But the second night was much different. It had been a long and trying day and she was more than ready to hand Chloe over to Marshall. When he walked into the kitchen the first thing he noticed was that they both looked like they’d been through a tornado. Heather’s usually smooth hair, was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she had dark circles under her honey brown eyes. Chloe didn’t look much better — she had stains on her shirt and the look on her face spoke volumes.
“Looks like you two had a long day.” He said, crossing the room to give his daughter a kiss on the head.
She batted his hand away, and gave him a dirty look. Then threw her fork down on her plate and said, “I don’t want to eat this, I want ice cream.”
Heather, who had heard this same refrain all day long said, “That’s all I’ve heard all day.” Then forced a smile that even Marshall could see was fake.
“Eat your dinner and you can have some ice cream.” Marshall said, ruffling Chloe’s hair.
“No, she’s been telling me that all day and I’m not eating anything but ice cream.” Chloe said, crossing her arms over her chest. Then she shouted, “I want ice cream.”
Marshall sighed, then went to the freezer and got out the ice cream. Chloe cheered and stuck her tongue out at Heather. “See I told you my daddy would give it to me.”
Heather was so shocked by the child’s behavior, which she shouldn’t have been since they’d spent two very long days together, could only stare with her mouth open. Then she got angry, not only had she not learned anything new about Simone and what she was up to, it had been pure hell taking care of Chloe, who was a spoiled, obnoxious child. Getting up from the table, she took her plate to the sink and rinsed it off, then finally calm enough to speak she turned to Marshall who was putting the bowl of ice cream down in front of a gleeful Chloe.
“We need to talk.” She said
, walking out of the room.
Marshall followed her ready to offer her more pay to stay and take care of his daughter who could be a handful if she didn’t get her way. “Before you say anything, I know how difficult Chloe can be and I’d be happy to double your salary. And I’ll give you some advice, let her have what she wants, then she’s happy and you’re happy. Did you see how well that worked just now?” He said, a smug smile on his face.
“Well, I can see what’s wrong with Chloe now.” Heather said, unable to stop herself.
“Excuse me?” Marshall said, narrowing his eyes at her.
Heather was at the end of her rope, tired of Chloe and shocked at how neglected the child was, she let her mouth get ahead of her brain. “I’ve spent two days with your daughter Mr. Montgomery and one thing is perfect clear to me, she’s starved for attention and spoiling her doesn’t make up for that.” She said, then immediately regretted it.
Marshall was silent for a long time, but as she watched his face got redder and redder. “Are you saying that Chloe is spoiled?” He asked through clenched teeth.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Since she’d already begun, it didn’t make any sense to stop then, so she said exactly what she’d been thinking all day. “Chloe not only needs some attention from her parents, but she needs some rules, and a routine she can count on.”
“I see, you’ve spent two days with her and you’ve got it all figured out. I suppose you think that you’re some kind of expert. What do you know about raising a child? It’s hard to be a single parent, sometimes we have to cut corners a little. Besides what harm does it do? So what if she’s a little spoiled.” Marshall knew even as the words came out of his mouth that his daughter was a little bit more than spoiled, but it was her mother’s fault not his.
“A little spoiled? That child is a little monster when she doesn’t get her way.” Heather said, then knew she’d gone to far.
“Ms. Whitcomb, again I remind you that you’re talking about my daughter.” Marshall said, then added. “I think it’s time I found someone else to take care of her.”
You're Not Alone: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 17) Page 5