by Claire Adams
"Well, I'll be damned," Jack said as he looked at me. I had no idea what he was thinking, so I stayed quiet and hoped that he would keep his arm around me a little longer.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jack
"That son of a bitch," I said as I stood up and started pacing the garden walk. "That no good son of a bitch is trying to ruin the company!"
"It's obvious that Sloan wants to pull it apart and sell it off," Leah said. "But are you sure your brother wants to do that, too? He sounded a little less certain of … well, everything."
"He's a greedy bastard who has always done everything for profit, and I'm sick and tired of it," I said as I felt the ball of anger building in my chest.
"Maybe you should sit down and talk with him before you get too worked up," Leah suggested.
"I'm going to kill him," I growled as I headed back toward the house.
"Jack!" Leah called. "Don't do anything drastic before you know the whole story!"
"Fuck that, I'm going to murder my brother, and then I'm going to go after Sloan Morgan with everything I have," I called over my shoulder. There was no way the two of them were going to make a fool of me.
"JACK!" Leah shouted. I stopped and turned around to see her striding toward me with a determined look on her face. "No, you are not going to go in there and blow the one advantage we have simply because you're pissed about some childhood grudges and mad at a girl who played you. God, you are such a man!"
"What the hell does that mean?" I said as I turned and looked down at the fiery Irish girl who was ordering me around.
"It means that you're an idiot," she said with her hands on her hips. "God, what do I have to do to get you to see that if you go in there and start a war with your brother, you'll blow every possible advantage we have. And you'll make it impossible for us to formulate a counter-attack."
"But he can't get away with this!" I shouted.
"Keep your voice down," she said, quieting me. "Look, we just heard their entire plan. Now we can sit down and map out a way to subvert it. But if you go in there and tip our hand, we'll never be able to stop them. Your brother has contacts at the bank, and Sloan is as slippery as a greased snake."
"You've been hanging around Norma too much," I grinned as the Southern saying slipped out of her mouth. Leah laughed a little and then stepped closer and rested her hands on my chest. I felt my body instantly respond, and I had to quickly remind myself that she was my employee, not a conquest. It wasn't easy, though. Her fingers were light, and I could feel the warmth of her palms seeping through my shirt as she looked up at me. Never in my life had I ever wanted to kiss a woman more than I did at that moment.
"Listen, we've got to put up a fight," Leah said looking up at me. Her eyes were softer now, and I could see every one of the freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks. "There are so many people at Baby Steps who are counting on keeping their jobs. We can't let Sloan and your brother gut the company and leave them high and dry, can we?"
"No, we definitely cannot," I said clearing my throat and forcing myself to look away. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less about the company. I wanted to sweep Leah up in my arms and carry her to my bedroom so I could peel off the layers of clothes and find out if her freckles stretched all the way to her toes.
"Jack?" she said as she tapped my chest.
"Huh?"
"I asked you what you were going to do right now," she repeated.
"I'm going to go inside and not murder my brother," I dutifully replied. "Then tomorrow morning, we'll go into the office and begin formulating our plan of attack."
"Good, I'm glad I finally managed to get through to you," she said, smiling.
I waited a moment, not wanting to move, but unsure whether I could get away with kissing her. Leah made the decision for me as she dropped her hands and started up the front steps. I followed, knowing that keeping all of this under wraps was going to require the best acting job of my life.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Leah
Once I'd gotten Jack settled down enough to be sure that he wouldn't screw things up by letting loose on his brother, I went inside to find his mother. I knew that running away from the table had probably confused her because Jack hadn't told her about his surprise, and I wanted to apologize.
"Mrs. Yates?" I said when I found her sitting on a chaise in the back living room.
"Oh, please call me Betty, honey," she said as she patted the seat next to her. "Come sit with me and let’s talk."
"Betty, I'm sorry I ran away from the dinner table," I began. "I didn't …"
"You didn't know that Jack had already decided you'd stay here, did you?" she asked in a light tone that told me she was used to this kind of behavior. "My boys are good boys, but they are a lot like their father in the sense that when they see something needs to be done, they just do it. Everything and everyone else be damned."
"I didn't know he'd made plans for us," I said.
"Of course you didn't, dear," she smiled. "He wanted to surprise you with a solution to your problem."
"Well, he did, indeed," I said, shaking my head. "I just …"
"You just don't like the way he swooped in and took over," she finished. "I didn't like the way Bernard did that, either, but over the years I realized that his intentions weren't bad. It was just that his plan of action needed fine tuning."
"But Jack's my boss," I said. "He's not my husband."
"Oh darling," Betty laughed as she patted my arm. "I think you are missing the obvious."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Jack may not know it yet, but he's fallen for you, my dear," she smiled. "He's head over heels, but my guess is that he's either not entirely aware of it or he's decided not to admit it to anyone, not even himself."
"I'm not seeing it," I lied as the memory of our first kiss flashed in my mind. "He's my boss, and he's been nothing but professional with me."
"All right, well, you two can keep playing this game for a little longer, but eventually it's going to catch up with you," Betty said as she looked out the window wistfully. "Bernard and I had a similar kind of courtship. He maintained an appropriate distance, and so did I, but in the end, we knew it was bigger than both of us. And it was."
"How long were you married?" I asked.
"Bernard and I celebrated our fortieth anniversary last year," she smiled at the memory. "He booked a cruise, and we spent ten lovely days together remembering why we'd gotten married in the first place."
"Did you need the reminder?" I asked.
"Oh goodness, yes, dear!" she exclaimed. "I was on the verge of leaving him!"
"You were?"
"Bernard was a difficult man," she said, carefully choosing her words. "There were many times during our marriage that I thought about picking up and leaving. But we had the boys, and it wasn't easy. Besides, as Bernard built the business, he was gone a lot of the time, so I lived in peace for many years."
"But you stayed," I said. "Why would you stay if you were so unhappy when he was around?"
"You young girls are so funny," she said as she turned and looked at me. "You think the whole world has always existed the way you experience it. What you don't understand is that your experience rests on the backs of the women who came before you."
"But if things were bad …" I said.
"If things were bad, you stayed because you didn't have options," Betty explained. There was a hint of irritation in her voice as she spoke. "I didn't earn a college degree until the boys were grown. And early in my marriage, I wasn't allowed to apply for a credit card without Bernard co-signing on it. Where was I going to go with two little boys? How would I support them?"
"I have no idea," I said, suddenly thinking about my own mother.
"Of course you don't," she said. "We don't really talk about these things openly, but they're the source of frustration and regret for many women. Look, I'm not complaining. I had a pretty marvelous life when all is said and do
ne, but I do understand the frustration you feel about having Jack take control of your situation. All I'm saying is that there's a balance."
"I can see that," I nodded as I thought about the difference between intent and action, and wondered if perhaps Jack and I needed to have a conversation about things. Then I thought about how embarrassed I'd feel if I brought this up and was wrong about his intentions.
"I don't think Jack was trying to control you, dear," Betty said as she quietly broke into my thoughts. "I think he was just trying to alleviate the stress you must obviously feel as you try to deal with work, home, and making sure Riley is well cared for."
"I can see that," I said. "I'm just not sure how I feel about this."
"Don't let pride get in the way of gaining a better understanding of his motives," Betty said as she stood up. "I don't know what they are, but I'm willing to bet they're better than what you think. Now, if you'll excuse me, dear, I'm going to show you your room and then take myself to bed."
"Oh, of course," I said, popping up off of the chaise and following her upstairs.
The room she'd had prepared for me was the most luxurious place I'd ever seen. The room was done in mossy greens and earthy tones, and it felt relaxing and restful. In one corner was an inviting sitting area with over-stuffed armchairs and plump stools. There were fuzzy blankets draped over the backs of the chairs and tables piled high with the latest best-sellers. On the other side of the room was a huge canopy bed covered in the thickest duvet I'd ever seen, topped with a mountain of pillows that looked like they were made for lounging.
The room had its own private bath complete with a soaking tub and an intricately tiled shower area that covered almost an entire wall. Betty showed me that the closets had been filled with an array of clothing and things Jack thought I might need, and she gave me a tour of the bathroom, making sure to tell me that she'd placed an order for the cosmetics and personal hygiene products herself.
"Jack wouldn't have known the first thing about what you'd need," she chuckled as she pulled out drawers and showed me all of the things that had been tucked into them.
"I don't know how to begin to thank you," I said, overwhelmed by the magnitude of generosity, and a little intimidated by it, too.
"There's no need, dear," Betty said smiling warmly. "We do what we can, when we can. And we're able to do a lot right now. Just relax and enjoy it, and let us help ease the stress of trying to figure out how to move forward, okay?"
"Okay," I nodded then asked. "Where's Riley?"
"Her room is two doors down the hall," Betty said. "I stocked it with things for a teenager, so I think she should be okay there tonight."
"I'm sure she'll be fine," I laughed, thinking about what Riley must have thought about her room. "I won't be able to get her out of it in the morning, though!"
"About that," Betty said hesitating a bit. "I know she's out of school right now. Jack told me. So, I found a tutor who will come to the house and give her lessons for as long as you two are staying here. I hope that's all right."
"Oh, Betty, thank you so much," I said as the tears welled up in my eyes. "I have been trying to figure out what to do about her schooling because I don't want her to get behind."
"That's the benefit of having lots of money, dear," Betty said patting my shoulder. "The challenge is figuring out how best to use it. I think this is definitely a good way to use it."
I nodded as she held out her arms and drew me into a tight hug. I held back, knowing that the wall dividing my emotions from the reality of what was going on had become dangerously thin over the past few hours, and I didn't want Betty to think I wasn't grateful.
She bid me good night and closed the door. I ran a tub full of hot water, then sunk down into the bubbles and cried until I felt like I had no tears left.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Jack
I spent most of the night pacing like a caged tiger, trying to hold back the anger that I felt. I wanted to find Lincoln and demand answers as to why he'd set me up, and then I wanted to find Sloan and cut her down to size. This was the last time I would ever believe a single word she said, and going forward, I would do whatever it took to ensure that she paid for the lies she'd told and the damage she'd done to Baby Steps.
By the time the sun came creeping up over the horizon, I'd formulated a plan to bring the liars out of the woodwork and teach them a lesson. Leah and I would save Baby Steps from the destructive plans my brother and his lover had cooked up.
I called Jimmy and told him to bring the car around before anyone in the house was stirring. I planned to get to the office early and organize the plan before anyone else arrived. When Jimmy dropped me off, I told him to swing back to the house and pick up Leah, but not to bring her in before nine. He nodded and headed back.
"Well, good morning, sunshine!" Norma crowed as she entered the office a little while later. She chattered away as usual before she realized how early it was. "My goodness, this morning I've been busier than a moth in a mitten! What are y’all doing here so early?"
"Norma, we've got a problem," I said, motioning her into my office.
"What's up, buttercup?" she said as she came closer.
"I'm going to trust you with information that is strictly confidential, and I expect that it will go no further than this office, do you understand?" I asked.
"Darlin', your father trusted me with most of the top secret things in this company. I'm sure I can handle your little cloak and dagger mystery just fine," she said shaking her head disapprovingly.
"I'm not kidding, Norma," I said as I moved toward the office door and shut it firmly. "There are things going on here that could seriously affect the entire company, and I need your help getting to the bottom of them. You cannot tell anyone what we're doing. Do you understand?"
"Why, you're serious, aren’t you?" she asked, suddenly getting serious, too.
"I am," I nodded. "Can I trust you to keep this confidential?"
"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit," she said. "Of course I can, darlin'!"
"You really have a way with words," I laughed, thankful that she had lightened the mood a bit before I shared the secrets with her. "Norma, it's come to my attention that Sloan is working with my brother to destroy Baby Steps and sell individual pieces of it to foreign investors. Last night, I found out that they're getting ready to make a deal with the Chinese to buy our warehouse operation and ship it over to one of their factories."
"You have got to be shitting me," Norma said as she stared at me with her mouth open. "That skinny, little Miss Know-It-All is trying to ruin all the hard work you've put into this company since your father died?"
"Yes, and my brother," I said as I watched her expression go from shocked to downright angry.
"Well now that gets my goose!" she swore under her breath. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to lay a trap for them and catch them in the act, but I'm going to need your help," I said. I explained the plan and told her what she was going to do. When I was done, Norma smiled and gave me the thumbs up.
"I'm on it, boss," she said as she returned to her command center out front.
A little while later, I heard her saying good morning to Sloan and knew that my plan was going to work. If Norma was onboard, then we were going to be just fine.
"Good morning, Jack," Sloan said as she crossed the room and set her handbag on my desk as usual. She was dressed in a tight-fitting suit. It had grey pinstripes with a bright red blouse underneath the jacket and impossibly high, black patent-leather stilettos on her feet. She looked like a cross between a Wall Street CEO and a high-end dominatrix, and I was fairly certain it was exactly the image she wanted.
"Good morning, Sloan," I said, smiling as I offered her coffee, which she turned her nose up at. "How's business?"
"It's damn good this week, boss," she said, flashing me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I've got quite a few appointments with possible distributors, and I
think that the Upper West Side is going to be a great place to market Baby Steps package deliveries. I've got meetings with a few of the condo boards, and we're going to discuss making Baby Steps the supplier for families in each of the buildings."
"Friends in high places," I said as I watched her lie.
"Indeed," she smiled. "So, what do we need to discuss this morning?"
"I'm going to need you to turn in all of your order sheets this morning before you leave," I said, dropping the bomb.
"Oh, haven't I given those silly things to Norma already?" she said, laughing lightly as she brushed off the request.
"No, you haven't, so before you leave this morning, I'm going to need you to turn them all in," I repeated.
"Darling, I know you like to run the business with an iron fist," she said moving closer to me so she could run her fingers down my arm as she playfully smiled. "But I don't have the silly paperwork with me. I'll have to turn it in later."
"I'm not backing down on this, Sloan," I said as I removed her hand from my arm. "There are some questions about the orders we're getting ready to fill in the warehouse, and I need you to provide evidence that those orders are actually on the books."
"Well, I don't have the paperwork," she said in a brittle voice that let me know she was angry. "It's not my biggest priority, Jack. You know that. I've been brought onboard to ensure that we have orders coming in, and I've done that. The paperwork is your warehouse manager's job. What's her name? Lora? Linda?"
"It's Leah," I said smiling knowing that I was getting to her. "And it's not her job. It's your job. I'll need you to sit down and fill it out before you leave this morning. Norma will get you the forms you need, so all you need to do is fill in the blanks. I'll contact the clients and have them sign the documents."
"I can't be expected to remember every client's order, Jack!" she protested. I could see her brain frantically working to try and find a way out of her lies.