Taking a seat on the sofa, he said, “No, thanks. I just came by to return this.”
Her mouth dropped open and pink splotches mottled her neck and cheeks as she stared at the jewelry in his outstretched hand. She gulped and took the bracelet, then awkwardly flopped into the chair.
After swallowing a few times, she nervously licked her lips and said, “Thanks. I, uh, won’t ask where you found this.”
He laughed and stretched his arm across the back of the sofa. “Okay, and I won’t ask how much you saw.”
She flipped her gaze to his and, much to his surprise, giggled. “That’d be good.” Relaxing in the chair, she said, “Gavin—”
At the same time, he said, “Callie—”
They stopped and stared at each other for a few beats. Something in her eyes shifted, a kind of understanding he’d never seen in them before, and in that instant, he knew everything with Callie would be all right.
“Do you know how much I care about you?” he asked.
Her eyes widened, and she flipped at a piece of fringe on the pillow she’d been hugging to her chest. She seemed uncomfortable with the question, so he rushed to explain. “Your dad has always treated me like a member of the family. He invited me to holiday meals, let me spend family vacations with you guys. I’d never gone on a family vacation until I went with your family.” He laughed. “Unless you count fishing trips to Anticue as a family vacation.”
They weren’t lavish, overseas vacations like he’d taken with the Holdens, but thinking about those fishing trips with his grandfather always made him smile. They’d been simple day trips, but he loved their time together and had always looked forward to the next trip.
He snapped back from his reverie to find Callie’s nose scrunched up in distaste.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Your dad always treated me like a son. You know what that makes you?” She shook her head. “My sister.”
“Ewww.”
“Exactly. I didn’t have any family other than my grandfather. Your family treating me like one of their own meant a lot to me. Because of that, I could never see you in a romantic way. Not because there’s anything wrong with you. It’s just…” He laughed and curled his lip. “Wrong.”
She laughed, a real genuine laugh that caused the dimple in her cheek to pop. “I can see why you feel the way you do… or don’t, as the case may be.”
“I’m also not the guy you think I am. Not really.” Her face crinkled with confusion as he struggled to explain what he was only coming to understand himself. “Going to Anticue and New Bern has made me realize I’m a farm boy at heart. A farm boy who’s ended up with a lot of polish on him, in a world where I’m not completely comfortable.”
He stared out the window at the main house. “I don’t want to live in a house like that. I’d rather have a farm, where I can get away from everyone and everything.”
A little place on the beach would work, too.
Callie fiddled with the bracelet. “How did you end up working for Daddy? How did you make it so high up the ladder so quickly?
“I went to work for Holden my senior year of college. Your dad,”—he shrugged—“well, Holden Enterprises offered to pay off my student loans if I agreed to work for them for five years.”
He never shared the details of his and Max’s agreement with anyone. From the way she digested the information, Max hadn’t shared it either.
“At the end of that term, I signed another five-year contract. When that one expired, I’d advanced to the position I’m in now. No one figured I’d go anywhere, so I wasn’t asked to sign another contract. Technically, I’m no longer bound to Holden. But I owe Max a lot. Some, like Max, would say I owe him everything.”
“I’m sorry I went to Anticue to spy on you.” She dropped her gaze, and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry for a lot of things I’ve done over the years.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” He started to stand, then hesitated. “Are we good now? You understand where I’m coming from?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I do.” She shifted her gaze to the main house and blinked a couple of times, like she was fighting back tears.
“Is there something else wrong?”
After a brief hesitation, she said, “Can I ask you something?”
Prior to today, there would have been no telling what crazy question she might ask. But after this little chat, he didn’t have any reservations. “Sure.”
“Would you be unfaithful to your wife if it became necessary for your job?”
Huh? Talk about a leftfield question. “Why would it ever be necessary, under any circumstances, to be unfaithful?”
“You know, for the job. Like with the bartender?”
Unease rose from the pit of his stomach and banged around in his chest. “What do you mean?”
She shifted in the chair and fiddled with the pillow some more. “Daddy said your…”—she dropped her gaze to the floor—“getting friendly with the bartender is part of the job, and that I shouldn’t have been upset. He said if things worked out between us, sometimes you’d have to do things like that. Is that true?”
Gavin’s blood pressure shot so high he swayed from side to side and little black spots danced before his eyes. He thought back to the first time Max sent him to Anticue. Callie wanted to go, but Max tried to talk her out of it.
Another ping of awareness hit him between the eyes. The first time he’d called from Anticue, something about the conversation had bugged him. He hadn’t been able to put his finger on the problem, but now he understood what it had been.
Max wasn't surprised to learn the owner was a woman. He also seemed to know the owner and the bartender were one and the same. He’d sent Gavin to the Blackout with the intention of him making a connection with Sunny. The son of a bitch had set Gavin up and used him, just like Sunny accused Gavin of doing to her.
And, he supposed, since he’d fallen prey to Max’s plan, that’s exactly what he’d done.
A loud pounding, followed by the door being flung open so fast it nearly ripped off the hinges, had Gavin and Callie’s heads swinging in that direction.
Max stood in the doorway, practically snorting and stomping like a bull. “Where the hell have you been?”
Oh, this was perfect. Max was going to get pissy after the shit he pulled? So not happening. Gavin unfolded himself from the sofa and stalked toward Max. “Let’s discuss this in your office.”
“That’s a damned good idea.” Max turned and stormed off toward the french doors.
Gavin leveled Callie with a solid stare. “No, I would never be unfaithful because my job dictated it. That’s ridiculous. And I’m not with Sunny for business reasons. Your father is very wrong about that.”
For the second time today, a woman studied his face, searching for the truth of his words. And once again, nothing he could say would mean anything. His actions would have to back the truth of his statement.
She looked at Max’s retreating back. “I’ve never seen him this angry.”
“I have.” Although Gavin doubted Max’s anger was little more than the heat of a candle compared to Gavin’s raging inferno. “We’ll talk more later.”
Gavin stepped out onto the patio and drew in a deep breath of humid air. He felt as if his veins had been filled with gasoline and every beat of his heart shortened the fuse a little closer to detonation. It wasn’t hard to believe Max had set him up; that was his style. What infuriated Gavin was that he hadn’t caught on to Max’s plan and allowed himself to be played.
Anger and frustration swirled until his vision blurred into a red haze. He wanted nothing more than to storm into Max’s office and rip him apart. But attacking Max wouldn’t get Gavin the information he needed. A verbal altercation would only drive a larger wedge between them, and Max would shut Gavin out of any further involvement in the Anticue plans.
No, Gavin needed to calm his ass down, so he coul
d con the conman.
The instant Callie made Gavin aware that he’d been played, he made a decision. It was too early in their relationship for Gavin to say he’d give up everything for Sunny. But he would give it all up to do the right thing.
It shamed him to admit that, had he been confronted with this situation a week ago, he might not have been as sure of his decision. Today, it was crystal clear. He wanted to be the man Sunny could be proud of. He wanted to talk to his grandfather about his job, openly and honestly, without worry of disappointing him. And he wanted to look in the mirror and like the person staring back at him.
But he couldn’t divulge any of that to Max, at least not yet. He had to make Max think that, while he’d had a temporary lapse of judgment over the weekend, he was still squarely in Max’s camp.
Gavin blew out a breath and forced the anger to retreat.
Showtime.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What the fuck is going on?” Max’s voice echoed off the walls and slammed into Gavin with the force of a physical punch.
Gavin had intended to wait for Max to calm down before answering, but the longer the older man stormed around his office, the more concerned Gavin became about Max’s health. Gavin had seen Max angry, but Callie was right. He’d never seen Max this furious, for this long. Gavin may be carrying a truckload of pissed-off himself, but that didn’t mean he wanted any harm to come to Max.
He took a step forward and in a soft, soothing voice said, “Max, let’s sit down and talk.”
Max whirled around. His face was bright red, his eyes narrowed slits. “Don’t patronize me. I know that let’s-be-reasonable tone. Hell, I’m the one that taught it to you.”
“You also taught me it’s a waste of time to talk to someone who’s angry or agitated.” Gavin slipped his hands into his pockets and watched Max pace.
While walking from Callie’s to Max’s office, Gavin had struggled to understand why Max was so mad. His plan had been to get Gavin and Sunny hooked up, and that’s what happened. So what was the problem?
Then it hit him. Max was beginning to suspect his plan had worked too well and was concerned it might backfire. That meant Gavin had to be extra careful not to confirm Max’s fears.
“I need a drink.” Max poured a shot of whiskey, tossed it back, then slammed down the glass. After several seconds, his stance relaxed. “You want one?”
Gavin grabbed a tumbler from the bar and held it out to Max. After pouring a generous portion into Gavin’s glass, Max refilled his own. The vein in his forehead still protruded, but in general, his overall attitude had settled slightly, and he seemed less at risk of a stroke.
Rather than sitting in his normal chair, facing Max’s desk, which put Max in his normal position of power, Gavin settled into a chair in the less formal, more relaxed sitting area. “What’s bothering you the most, Max?”
Max sat in the chair opposite Gavin and fell deep into thought, probably running over the long list of Gavin’s infractions, figuring out where to start. Gavin wasn’t surprised when Max began with the most recent issue. “Why were you in my daughter’s house? You suddenly interested?”
“We were talking.”
“About?”
About your warped sense of duty, you bastard. Gavin bit his tongue and said, “Did you tell your parents everything you did or talked about with your friends when you were Callie’s age?”
Max’s eyes narrowed in warning and his face re-reddened. “I won’t tolerate you playing games with my daughter.”
Gavin shook his head as his irritation reignited. “I’ve never played games with Callie. You were the one trying to force something that wasn’t ever going to happen. She understands that, and we were having a nice, friendly chat.”
Oh, and as a result of that chat, you can expect my resignation, just as soon as I figure out a way to fix the Anticue mess, you son of a bitch.
“What about you and the bar owner?”
Gavin shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “She’s a pretty woman. It’s nothing serious.” His flippant response felt like a betrayal, but he had to be careful. “I’ve tried everything”—heavy emphasis on everything, since, after all, that had been Max’s plan—“to make her see the benefits of selling. But she’s attached to the property and refuses to entertain any of the offers I’ve made.”
Max ground his teeth together and glared out the window.
“If we can’t secure her piece of land, what are the alternative plans?”
“There are no alternative plans.” Max’s gaze was steely, his voice frosty. “If you can’t work things out, I’ll take care of it myself.”
Max’s glacial tone and expression sent a shiver down Gavin’s spine. Like the rest of the country, the economy had taken a toll on Holden Enterprises. People weren’t vacationing like they used to, and the properties were struggling to turn a profit.
Max wasn’t the kind to panic, but he’d sunk a fortune into the Anticue endeavor. He had to be feeling the pinch of having expended the cash, but not yet seeing a return on the investments. He was getting desperate to wrap things up.
Because he’d never wanted to know how Max turned reluctant landowners compliant, Gavin never broached the subject. But for Sunny’s sake, and in a way, he supposed, for his own sake, he needed to know details. He smiled, trying to look devious and ratty. “Just curious, Max, how exactly do you take care of things?”
Max leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands over his stomach, and stared at Gavin. Apparently, he was as bad an actor as Sunny, because it was obvious Max wasn’t fooled by Gavin’s attempt to be oily. ”You worry about working out a deal and leave the rest to me.”
“How long do I have?”
“Forty-eight hours.”
***
Some habits die harder than others, Callie mused as she sat in her room, listening to her father and Gavin hash things out. Right after moving back from Europe, she’d purchased a listening device off the Internet and installed it in her father’s office. It allowed her to listen to all of her father’s conversations, but the only ones she cared about were the ones involving Gavin.
Her father had been so angry when he stormed off earlier, she’d almost been afraid to flip it on. But in the end, she hadn’t been able to resist.
“What’s the rush, Max?” Gavin’s irritation with the forty-eight-hour deadline was evident in his terse response.
“I’ve been working on this project for years. I’m not waiting any longer.”
There was a brief pause, then Gavin said, “Have you forgotten that I’m taking a vacation?”
“No, I didn’t forget.” Her father’s voice was cold with a dash of nasty. Had he always spoken to Gavin this way and she never noticed? Or had things changed between them? “But the forty-eight hours starts now,” her father said. “Not when you return from vacation.”
The leather chair squeaked, indicating one of them stood. “You’re a real son of a bitch, Max.”
Callie gasped and her heart pounded in her throat as she waited for her father’s scathing response. He didn’t yell, as she expected, only laughed and said, “Don’t tell me you’re just figuring that out.”
There was no reply from Gavin, only the opening and closing of the office door. Leather squeaked again. She reached for the off switch on the intercom, but stopped when she heard Max pick up his desk phone and punch in a number.
“It’s Max.” Her father’s tone was all business. “I have a job for you in Anticue. They have forty-eight hours to come around, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
What? Callie’s heart jumped to her throat and blocked her airway, causing her to gasp for breath as she waited for him to say more. Something, anything that would convey the call wasn’t as menacing as it sounded. But rather than saying anything reassuring, he gave the address for the Blackout and confirmed he’d call back with the final order.
Over the years there had been hundreds of rumors regarding her fathe
r’s unethical practices, but she never believed any of them. She never wanted to believe them. But she couldn’t deny that this call had been ominous, with a clear intent.
Since he hadn’t used the speakerphone, she couldn't hear the other person. Therefore, she had no way of knowing who he’d called, or the specifics of what her father intended.
Regardless of all she didn’t know, she had to call Gavin. Her fingers trembled so badly it took three times to get his number dialed, as she struggled to hold back the tears. “Gavin.” She swallowed the painful knot in her throat and sniffed. “He just made a call.”
“Who made a call?”
“Daddy. He… I… shit. I have his office bugged—”
“I knew it.” He laughed, then immediately sobered. “Are you okay? You sound like you’re crying.”
“No, I’m not okay. Daddy called someone. He told them he had a job for them in Anticue.” She choked on a sob. “I don’t know what he meant, specifically, but it sounded bad. I can’t believe he’d do something awful. But I also can’t deny what I heard.”
As the silence on the line stretched on forever, her heart broke under the gravity of the situation. Unable to stand the deafening quiet any longer, she said, “Are you there?”
She heard something that sounded like Gavin hitting the dashboard a couple of times, then he said, “Yeah. I’m here.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Callie, I need your help. I know he’s your father, but will you help me?”
***
Turning a flat piece of copper into pine needles seemed like a good idea when Sunny dreamt it up last week. But after hours of pounding, with little visible progress, she was beginning to have her doubts. Hell, she was past doubts and now believed it to be her worst idea. Ever.
She tossed the hammer and chisel onto the table, yanked off her gloves, and grabbed her bottle of water. Maybe after a short break she’d be able to, once again, find the brilliance in the plan.
Last Call (Book #2 - Heat Wave Series) Page 19