“I am tired. It’s been one of those days. George and his date would probably like to enjoy their meal in peace. He certainly didn’t bring her here to babysit Emma. They probably had a romantic evening in mind.”
“I think you have the wrong idea about George and Marti.”
“I don’t know. These May-December romances have become quite the in thing lately. George is a wealthy man with power and influence. Very appealing to a young woman.”
“A lot like me and you, huh. Not so much the age thing. You’re, what, thirty-one? The part about my being wealthy and powerful sure fits your idea of the perfect man. Appealing, as you said. You even liked Elizabeth a little more when you found out she was a Hamilton and married to Jenna’s brother-in-law.”
He had her attention. She couldn’t allow him to think she was only after his bank account. She liked him too. She wasn’t Marti, going after a man old enough to be her grandfather. At least Cameron was young and had a body any woman would fantasize about having pressed against her. His dark hair set off his amazing, silvery blue eyes. The contrast made him even more strikingly handsome.
“Darling, you have me all wrong. I didn’t pursue you. You wanted me. If I remember correctly, you couldn’t wait to have me. You just took me right upstairs and had me in your office on the sofa. I had no idea you were the president of Merrick.”
She had known, but she wasn’t going to tell him. She’d spent many nights at the bar trying to land an executive. She’d done her homework and knew who liked to hang out at the upscale restaurant. The bartender was a wealth of information when tipped well. She’d tipped very well.
Cameron had his doubts. Everyone knew the crowd in Decadence consisted of wealthy businesspeople from around San Francisco, and particularly Merrick International.
“Right, it had nothing to do with the fact that when I told you my name, you wrapped yourself around me like I was a warm blanket on a winter night in Alaska. You were all too willing to go upstairs.”
His behavior, and especially hers, gnawed at him. He dined at Decadence almost every day, and he never picked up women there. Too many people knew him. He was the head of the company and supposed to set an example, not generate gossip.
Shelly’s argument for them getting married held a lot of weight and made him cringe. He just might have to do it to make things right, which meant he’d doom himself and Emma to a horrible marriage with no other end but disaster.
This was some kind of living hell. He didn’t want to sign on the dotted line and make it official. No one said he had to, but his conscience nagged. He’d grown up without a father. Emma was growing up without her mother. He and Caroline and Emma were supposed to be the family he always wanted and Emma deserved.
Could he make that family work with Shelly? Maybe? With a baby on the way, he couldn’t say absolutely no. For the children, shouldn’t he at least try?
“Let’s get out of here. I’ll meet you at the car after I get Emma. We’ll drive you home.”
“Why don’t I stay with you tonight?”
“I don’t bring women home with me. I have Emma to think about.”
“Darling, eventually you need to tell her we have a relationship and we’re expecting a baby brother or sister for her.”
“I’m sure she heard your announcement to the restaurant. I need time to explain things to Emma in my own way. She’s just a little girl. For her whole life, it’s only been the two of us. I will deal with Emma my way, in my own time. You will not interfere with my daughter.”
“Fine. I’ll stay out of it. You can’t put it, or me, off forever.”
He knew that all too well, but it was early in the pregnancy, which meant he had time. They needed it to come to terms and figure out a way to make this work.
“I’m not putting you off. Once you provide the proof you’re pregnant, we’ll negotiate.”
“Negotiate. You’re so romantic, darling.” The sarcastic tone grated on his nerves.
He grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving the table. “Let’s get one thing straight. Even if you are pregnant, I am not in love with you, and I’m not about to fall in love with you. This relationship wasn’t headed there in the first place. We enjoy each other in bed, it’s pretty much all we enjoy about each other. If you’re pregnant, we’ll negotiate the terms of the pregnancy and what we’re going to do once the baby is born.”
“You are sucking all the fun out of this. I thought you’d be pleased. I guess I was wrong. Let’s just go.”
“If you’re carrying my child, I will be pleased. I’ll be a good father and provide for you and the child. Like I said, we’ll negotiate.”
Cameron hated to think of this situation as some kind of business deal. He needed time to think about all his options. Marriage was the sensible thing. He wanted his baby to have a mother and a father.
“I’ll get Emma and see you at the car.”
Any way he looked at it, this had disaster written all over it. Ever the optimist, he hoped to turn this into an opportunity to have the family he’d dreamed of with Caroline.
Chapter Eleven
* * *
“AH, DAD, I’M not ready to go home yet. Marti is going to teach me how to play soccer with a quarter on the table.”
Cameron’s gaze shifted to Marti. A quarter sat on the tabletop in front of her. She put her hand over it, never taking her eyes from him.
“I have no idea what she’s talking about. We were sitting here using our very best manners. Honest.”
Cameron smiled and laughed. “I’ll bet you were. My daughter laughing and giggling over the restaurant noise proves it.”
“Sit down and join us, son. We’ve had dessert and dinner. I believe the salad is coming out next. And then the bread and appetizer.” George smiled, appearing to enjoy the evening’s events as much as Emma.
“You’re sure having a great time, Knight.”
“Who wouldn’t when they spend an evening with two beautiful women?”
Cameron thought about the comments Shelly made and her implying Marti was George’s mistress. He studied them sitting at the table together. George was on one side with Emma across from him and Marti beside Emma. Not an intimate way for the group to sit. He would have sat next to Marti, or as close to her as possible. They might brush legs under the table, or hold hands on top. Marti looked like she was more interested in Emma than a romantic evening with George.
“How did the two of you meet?” He tried to sound casual, but George caught something in his tone and his eyes narrowed a fraction.
“Marti saved my life today. To thank her, I invited her to dinner.”
George would be grateful to Marti for the rest of his days. Unfortunately, those days were numbered. He heard it ticking down even now. Tonight he’d make Marti an offer and hope she agreed to be a part of his plan. Cameron would be a big part of the plan too. Maybe George could fix this mess Cameron had gotten himself into with Shelly and give him the life he deserved. The life he should have had all along.
“Oh, George. That’s a little dramatic. The only thing I saved you from is catching a cold. You still might after we stood talking in the rain for half an hour.”
“What did everyone say when you walked into your meeting drenched?”
“The lawyers remained silent, of course, but my uncle asked if I swam to shore.”
“Swam to shore?” Cameron had sailing and fishing on his mind and wondered why anyone would think Marti would swim ashore. From where?
“I met George at the harbor. I’d just gotten back from a trip.”
“Where did you go?” Cameron asked.
“Everywhere,” she said and smiled mischievously. “I was fulfilling a promise. It’s a long story.”
“You always keep your promises?” Unsure why he asked, her answer seemed infinitely important.
“Yes,” she said emphatically. “I never make a promise I don’t keep. It’s one of my rules.”
“Like not sti
cking your nose in people’s business?”
“Yes. I only did it because you looked like you needed the help. Sometimes when you’re in the situation you can’t see it objectively. I hope I didn’t make things worse for you. I never meant to harm you.”
“Slow down, Marti. You didn’t do anything wrong, and thanks for sticking your nose in. I owe you for Emma. I don’t think I’ve heard her laugh as much as she has tonight in a long time.”
“She’s an amazing girl. Aren’t you, Sugar Bug?” Marti poked Emma in the ribs and made her laugh.
“Come on, sweetheart. Jimmy and Shelly are waiting for us.”
“I don’t want to go home yet.”
“You have school tomorrow and two late nights is more than enough for one week. It’s home, books, and bed for you.”
“What college do you go to, Sugar Bug?”
“I’m not in college. I’m in kindergarten.”
“Could have fooled me, Sugar Bug. You are so smart.”
“If I went to college, I could have dessert first all the time.”
Marti laughed and so did Cameron. “Touché, Sugar Bug. Like I said, you are very smart.”
“I hate to see you leave when you seem to want to stay,” Knight began and went on quickly before Cameron corrected him. He needed to leave and get Shelly home. Okay, maybe he wanted to stay.
“Come to dinner this Friday,” George went on. “I have something extremely important to discuss with you.”
“We’ll be there.” Cameron looked to George for some answer in his face for his serious tone. He didn’t get one.
“I’m only going if Marti will be there,” Emma said and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look like she meant business.
“Are you busy Friday night, Marti?” George hoped she’d be staying at the house before Friday.
“I have a few things planned, but for you, Sugar Bug, I’ll make time. Are you sure you don’t mind, George? If you have business to discuss with Cameron . . .”
“Nonsense. I want you there. Emma and Cameron want you there. We’ll see you and Emma Friday night, Cameron.”
“We look forward to it,” he said and scooped up his daughter.
Emma turned back to Marti. “Will you teach me how to play soccer with a quarter on Friday?”
“Absolutely. We will use all of our best table manners during dinner. After, I’ll kick your butt at quarter soccer.”
“No way. I’m going to kick your butt.”
“You’re on, Sugar Bug. We’ll begin the tournament Friday night.”
Emma beamed when Marti handed her the quarter. Cameron hugged his daughter to his chest and looked over her at Marti. “Thank you for watching over my daughter.”
Marti saw the love he had for his little girl reflected in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. He loved her very much, appreciated that Marti saw how special Emma was, as special as he believed her to be.
“It was my pleasure.” She spoke with as much sincerity as she felt, hoping to give the moment the depth of emotion it deserved.
Cameron nodded to her and George and turned to take his daughter home.
“YOU’RE AN AMAZING woman, Marti. I invited you to dinner tonight for two reasons. One is to thank you for today. You opened my eyes to what I need to do in my life to make things right. Two, I hope you’ll humor an old man and an old family friend and hear me out. I have a request, and I hope you’ll accept.”
“George, of course I’ll listen. There’s no need to thank me for today. You needed someone to talk to. I was happy to be that person and get reacquainted with you after all these years. That’s thanks enough for me. Besides, you saved me from dinner alone in my hotel room.”
“Hotel room? You aren’t staying at your grandparents’ estate?”
“No, the estate was left to my uncle. As you can imagine, he and I don’t get along well. I’ll have to move my things out over the next few weeks, since the estate has been settled.”
“Is that what your meeting today was about, finalizing the estate?”
“Yes.”
She spent the next half hour telling him about her grandmother’s request and how the estate sat in limbo until her return from her trip. Because he had a similar estate situation with his fortune and family, he understood all too well what she faced against her uncle.
They traded stories about her grandfather and caught up on current events with Knight Enterprises and Fairchild Industries.
Marti possessed a depth of knowledge that astounded George. Business-savvy and fair-minded, she added a great sense of humor to those qualities and others he found fascinating. She spoke of her grandfather with kindness and reverence. She understood his cantankerous attitude and found the love in his less-than-traditional ways of raising a girl.
He asked her about her plans for the immediate future, surprised to learn about her work and how she kept it private. He felt honored she trusted him with her secret. Besides finishing a few projects she was working on and finding a place to live, she didn’t have a lot of business going on at any one time. She managed her time well and made sure she had time to do her work.
“I told you earlier, I have a request.”
He hated to turn the tone from lighthearted storytelling to solemn and serious, but he needed her help.
“What is it George? Is everything all right?”
“No. I’ve learned from my doctors I have a terminal brain tumor. They can’t operate and it’s growing rapidly. Pretty soon, within weeks, I’ll be dead.”
“Oh, George, I’m so sorry. Is that why you were down at the harbor today?”
“Part of the reason. My family knows my days are numbered and the vultures are circling. They want to pick apart my life’s work and get what they think they deserve. Today you reminded me I have control over what I leave behind. The story you told me about your grandparents’ estate confirms my belief. I’ve been lax in dealing with my family. I called for a meeting with my lawyers tomorrow. I’ll make the necessary changes to ensure things are handled the way I want after my death.”
“Of course, George. You have control over what happens. That’s the lesson. You don’t have to let them destroy what you’ve built. Just because they’re your children and family doesn’t mean they should get it all.”
She paused for a moment. “You do realize, whatever you decide to do, it will cause trouble among your family members. It’s been only my uncle and I, and we’ve had trouble from day one. I’m telling you this so you know what it will be like for your family when you’re gone. If they’re like my uncle, they’ll fight over the estate. It won’t be pretty, especially if they don’t get what they expect.”
“That’s the part that bothers me the most. They expect to take over and take it all. They’re going to be surprised.” George turned thoughtful and decided to go ahead with his plan.
“I want to ask you for something. It’s big, and I’ll understand if you say no.”
“What is it? I can see it’s very important to you.”
“Yes, very important. I’d like you to spend my last days with me. It would only be for a few weeks.” He held up his hand to stop her from interrupting. “I want you to move into my home. I have several rooms for you to choose from. All of them are empty, and even if one of my children or family members moved in, it wouldn’t be the same as having someone near who cares about me, for me. You aren’t after anything. You’ve made me feel young and vibrant again. I like your company and you appear to like mine. Most young people don’t have the time to give to an old man like me. You’re different. You don’t see my age. I’d really like to spend my last days with someone like you.”
“Oh, George. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be with your children?”
“I’m sure they’ll come by now and again to see if I’ve kicked the bucket and they can collect. They’ll probably even resent you being there, but I want to spend my final days with you.
“I won’t impose on you
r work or anything. It would be nice to have meals and talk in the evening with you. A companion. No one should die alone. I’m sure you’d agree there are lots of ways a person can be alone, even in a crowd of people. I don’t want to be alone.
“It’s a selfish request. You’ve already been there for your grandfather and grandmother in their final days. It can’t be easy to see a loved one die. I may not rank as a loved one, but I hope you’ll grant an old man’s last request.”
She couldn’t fight the tears. Indeed, she couldn’t deny him his last request. It wasn’t such a hardship for her to live with him, share his meals, have conversations, and be there for a man her grandfather had admired for much of his life. Her grandfather would have appreciated and been proud of her gesture.
“I’ll move in with you, George. You were my grandfather’s oldest and, although he’d never cop to it, his dearest friend. You did corporate battle and admired each other for your skills. We’ll be the best of friends to the end.”
She picked up her wine glass, which, like Emma’s, was filled with fruit punch, and lifted it to George’s. They toasted their bargain.
“To old friendships and new ones.”
Chapter Twelve
* * *
CAMERON WAITED ON pins and needles in his office. He stared out the window lost in thought until the door opened behind him. Shelly entered, her image reflected in the glass, but he found himself staring at the ocean thinking about another woman entirely. Marti hadn’t been far from his mind since he’d met her at the restaurant. Emma asked about her constantly. She wanted to see Marti again and had asked him to call her over and over. Even if he thought he should, he didn’t know how to reach her. He didn’t even know her last name. He wasn’t about to call George to find out. Cameron had no business asking about Marti, even under the guise of Emma wanting to talk to her and see her again. Five-year-olds didn’t call grown women for a play date. Cameron wanted an entirely different kind of play date with her. The only thing keeping him from calling George every two minutes was the dinner invitation he extended for tonight. He’d get to see her again. Emma also reminded him multiple times over the last three days Marti would be there. Like he wasn’t just as anxious to see her again. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone since he chased every pretty girl in sight in high school.
The Right Bride: Book Three: The Hunted Series Page 6